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Children's  Series 


Old  Testament  Stories 
New  Testament  Stories 


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THE  MODERN  READER'S  BIBLE 

A   SERIES  OF  WORKS   FROM  THE  SACRED   SCRIPTURES  PRESENTED 
IN    MODERN   LITERARY   FORM 


BIBLE    STORIES 

(Old  Testament) 

""7 — • 

EDITED,  WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  AND  NOTES 

BY 

RICHARD   G.  MOULTON,  M.A.  (Camb.),  Ph.D.  (Penn.) 

Professor  of  Literature  in  English  in  the 

University  of  Chicago 


yr^r^ 


THE   MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

LONDON:  MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Ltd. 
1899 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1899,    • 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set   up   and  electrotyped  January,   1899.      Reprinted  June, 
1899. 


NorijjootJ  IPrcgg 

J.  S.  Gushing  &  Co.  -  Berwick  &  Smith 

Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


/OdI 


PREFACE 


This  is  announced  as  a  Children's  Number  of  the  Modern 
Reader's  Bible.  The  term  ^Children'  covers  a  wide  va- 
riety of  capacity,  from  an  intelligence  greater  than  that  of 
many  adults  to  a  child  mind  that  needs  to  be  addressed  in 
a  language  of  its  own.  The  text  of  this  volume  is  suitable 
for  all ;  the  introductions  and  notes  are  intended  for  older 
children,  or  for  others  only  by  transmission  through  the 
minds  of  parents  and  teachers. 

The  stories  which  make  the  text  are  in  the  language  of 
Scripture,  altered  only  by  omissions.  The  Bible  has  this 
amongst  other  marks  of  a  classic  :  that  its  language  has  the 
power  of  attracting  young  minds,  even  where  (in  the  opinion 
of  their  seniors)  the  subject  matter  ought  to  be  beyond 
them.  As  in  the  other  volumes  of  the  Modern  Reader's 
Bible,  I  follow  the  Revised  Version,  with  frequent  substitu- 
tions of  margin  for  text :  for  the  use  of  this  I  express  my 
obligation  to  the  University  Presses  of  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge. 

The  volume  is  arranged  according  to  the  natural  divisions 
of  Bible  history :  Genesis,  The  Exodus,  The  Judges,  The 


^  Preface 

Kings  and  Prophets,  The  Exile  and  Return.*  Each  period 
is  represented  by  its  most  important  stories  ;  the  purpose 
of  the  introduction  and  notes  to  each  section  is  to  weave 
all  together  by  indicating  briefly  the  bearing  of  each  story 
on  the  general  history.  Thus  it  is  hoped  that  the  -whole 
volume  may  leave  on  a  young  mind  an  impression  of  Old 
Testament  history,  in  outhne  complete  (however  scanty), 
but  with  outline  supplemented  by  the  most  vivid  picturing 
of  important  points.  With  the  selection  of  stories  no  one 
will  be  satisfied,  least  of  all  the  editor.  But  those  who 
may  be  inclined  to  be  censorious  on  this  subject  should 
try  the  experiment  of  making  a  selection  themselves,  and 
they  will  see  how  an  editor  has  to  sacrifice  his  own  favour- 
ites to  stern  limitations  of  space  and  suitability. 

There  can  surely  be  no  question  that  these  classic  stories 
of  Biblical  literature  should  have  a  place  in  all  education, 
whether  of  the  home,  the  Sunday  School,  or  the  instruction 
that  calls  itself  secular.  The  inquiry  is  sometimes  made, 
how  such  literature  should  be  used  in  practical  teaching. 
I  would  say  that  our  first  duty  to  a  story  is  to  love  it : 
nothing  in  the  way  of  discussion  is  legitimate  that  inter- 
feres with  the  prerogative  of  the  young  mind  to  absorb 
story  and  to  reproduce  it  in  its  own  way.  With  the 
observance  of  this  limitation  I  would  suggest  that  the  next 
use  of  such  stories  as  these  is  to  light  up  portions  of  ancient 

*  Each  of  these  five  parts  (Introduction,  Text,  and  Notes)  can  be  obtained 
separately,  in  paper  covers,  price  15  cents  each. 
vi 


Preface  8«- 

history ;  I  have  endeavoured  to  give  help  in  this  way  by 
the  introductions  and  notes.  Again,  the  literary  charm  of 
Scripture  narrative  is  so  great  that  these  stories  will  serve 
where  nothing  more  is  desired  than  a  reading  book.  More 
than  this,  it  is  the  function  of  story  to  bring  up  persons 
and  incidents  with  the  vividness  of  present  reality :  they 
lend  themselves  to  moral  and  religious  comment,  which 
thus  becomes  a  comment  on  life  itself.  In  the  present 
case,  such  commenting  must  be  left  to  parent  or  teacher : 
the  notes  of  this  series  go  no  further  than  assisting  towards 
the  appreciation  of  each  incident  as  a  piece  of  literature. 

I  may  be  permitted  a  word  on  the  relation  of  this  to 
other  volumes  of  the  Modern  Reader's  Bible.  The  present, 
and  its  companion  volume  of  New  Testament  Stories,  are 
intended  as  ground  plan  of  Bible  history :  the  separate 
sections  correspond  to  the  separate  volumes  of  the  History 
Series  in  the  larger  work.  When,  in  the  story  form,  the 
ground  has  been  covered  as  a  whole,  then  some  particular 
section  may  be  chosen  for  study  in  the  full  form  of  history, 
story,  documents,  which  make  up  Bible  history  as  it  stands. 
Similarly,  the  volume  entitled  Select  Masterpieces  of  Bibli- 
cal Literature  is  intended  to  introduce  to  all  varieties  of 
literary  form  represented  in  Scripture,  and  its  sections 
correspond  to  the  various  series  —  History,  Wisdom, 
Prophecy,  etc.  —  into  which  the  Modern  Reader's  Bible  is 
divided :  after  all  forms  have  become  familiar  in  type,  some 
one  series  can  be  selected  for  continuous  study,  the  volumes 
vii 


-^  Preface 

of  the  series  being  arranged  in  the  proper  order,  while  the 
introductions  to  each  volume  bring  out  the  unity  of  the 
series  as  a  whole.  Thus  to  cover  a  general  field  by  vivid 
selections,  and  then  pursue  a  restricted  part  of  it  with  ful- 
ness of  detail,  is  the  sound  order  of  study. 

R.  G.  MOULTON. 


CONTENTS 

GENESIS 

PAGE 

Introduction  .........  3 

i.     The  Creation  of  the  World     .....  7 

ii.     The  Temptation  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  ...  10 

iii.     Cain  and  Abel        .......  12 

iv.     The  Flood 13 

V.     The  Call  of  Abraham 18 

vi.     The  Birth  and  Offering  of  Isaac      .         .         .         .19 

vii.     The  Wooing  of  Rebekah 23 

viii.     How  Jacob  stole  the  Blessing  from  his  Brother        .  29 

ix.     The  Story  of  Joseph  and  his  Brethren     •         •         •  35 

Joseph  and  his  Brethren  in  Canaan        .         .  35 

Joseph  as  a  Slave  in  Egypt    ....  38 

How  in  one  day  Joseph  passed  from  a  Slave  to 

a  Prime  Minister       .....  42 

Joseph  and  his  Brethren  in  Egypt .          .         .  46 
The  Journey  of  the  Children  of  Israel  from 

Canaan  to  Egypt        .....  58 

Notes  to  Genesis       ........  61 

ix 


-^  Contents 


THE   EXODUS 


Introduction  .........       69 


i.     Moses  and  the  Plagues  of  Eg}^t     .... 
The  Wonderful  Preservation  of  Moses  as  a 

Babe 

The  Ten  Plagues  of  Egypt     .... 

The  Overthrow  of  the  Egyptians  at  the  Red  Sea 

ii.     Law  of  the  Ten  Commandments  from  Sinai     . 

iii.     The  Witness  of  Balaam  to  Israel     .... 

Notes  to  the  Exodus 


73 

73 

74 
^Z 

95 

98 

107 


THE   JUDGES 

Introduction  ........ 

i.     The  Passage  of  the  Jordan  and  Siege  of  Jericho 
ii.     How  the  wily  Gibeonites  deceived  Joshua 
iii.     War  of  Deborah  and  Barak  against  Sisera 
iv.     Feats  of  Gideon  in  the  Midianite  War 
V.     The  Story  of  Jephthah's  Vow 
vi.     Stories  of  Samson  . 

Samson'' s  Wedding  Feast 
The  Jaiubone  of  an  Ass  . 
Samson  and  Delilah 
Death  of  Samson     . 
vii.     The  Old  Man  Eli  and  the  Child  Samuel 
Birth  of  Sa77iuel     . 
The  Child  Samuel  called  to  be  Prophet 


"3 
119 
122 
125 

139 
142 
142 
144 
146 
148 
149 
149 
151 


Contents  q^ 

PAGE 

Loss  of  the  Ark  and  Death  of  Eli   .         .         •  I53 

The  Return  of  the  Ark 1 55 

viii.     The  Anointing  of  Saul  .         .         .         .         .         '159 

ix.     The  Rejection  of  Saul  and  Anointing  of  David         .  167 
X.     The  Feud  of  Saul  and  David  and  the  Friendship  of 

David  and  Jonathan 172 

David  and  Goliath         .         .         .         .         .172 

JIozv  the  Feud  and  the  Friendship  began          .  177 

The  Escape  by  Night 1 79 

The  Secret  Meeting  of  David  and  Jonathan    .  1 81 

The  Adventure  of  the  Spear  and  Water-cruse  185 

The  Battle  of  Gilboa 189 

Notes  to  the  Judges  ........  193 

THE  KINGS   AND   PROPHETS 

Introduction  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .201 

i.     David  and  the  Prophet  Nathan       ....  207 

ii.     The  Revolt  of  Absalom  ......  209 

iii.     The  Wisdom  of  Solomon        .....  215 

iv.     Story  of  the  Divided  Kingdom        ....  219 

V.     Stories  of  the  Prophet  Elijah  .....  221 

Elijah  and  the  Prophets  of  Baal     .         .         .  221 

Elijah  in  the  Desert       .....  227 

The  Story  of  Naboth^s  Vineyard     .         .         .  229 

Ascent  of  Elijah  to  Heaven     ....  232 

vi.     Stories  of  the  Prophet  Elisha           ....  234 

The  Shunamtnite' s  Son .....  234 

Naaman  and  Gehazi      .....  237 

xi 


-^  Contents 

PAGE 

vii.     The  AssjTrian  Army  and  the  Prophet  Isaiah     .         .241 
viii.     King  Josiah  and  the  Finding  of  the  Law  .         .     247 

JVo^es  to  The  Kutgs  and  Prophets     .....     250 


THE   EXILE   AND   RETURN 

hitroduction   .........  255 

i.     Stories  of  the  Captives  in  Babylon  ....  259 

The  Burning  Fiery  Furnace ....  259 

The  Dreafn  of  the  Tree  that  was  cut  down       .  263 
Belshazzar'^s  Feast .         .         .         .         .         .268 

Daniel  in  the  Den  of  Lions    ....  272 

ii.     The  Story  of  Esther        ......  275 

How  a  Jewish  Maiden  became  a  Queen  .         .  275 
Haman^s  Wicked  Plot  and  how  it  was  over- 
thrown      .......  278 

Mordecai  Prime  Minister  of  the  Empire         .  286 

iii.     Stories  of  the  Return      ......  290 

How  NehejJiiah  rebuilt  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem  290 

The  Renewal  of  the  Covenant  under  Ezra       .  299 

Notes  to  The  Exile  and  Return        .....  307 

Rough  Map  of  the  Old  Testament  World 


BIBLE    STORIES 
Genesis 


Introduction  to  Genesis 

The  stories  which  make  up  this  volume  are  a  part  of  the 
History  of  the  People  of  Israel,  as  giveti  by  theinselves  in 
the  books  of  the  Bible.  This  people  of  Israel  (also  called 
Hebrews  or  Jews')  is  one  of  the  greatest  races  of  the  world 
in  regard  to  its  history  and  literature;  moreover ,  it  is 
through  this  people  that  we  who  live  today  have  received 
our  holy  religion. 

Bible  history  is  unlike  other  history.  It  is  not  a  mere 
7iarrative  of  events  :  everything  is  put  forward  with  one 
purpose.  This  ptirpose  is  to  proclaiin  how  Israel  is  a 
Chosen  Nation,  having  a  7nission  to  represent  God  to  the 
other  natio7is  of  the  earth.  Thus,  while  their  God  is  the 
God  of  the  whole  earth,  yet  Israel  is  a  '•  Covenant  People.'' 
This  means  that  there  is  a  covenant  between  God  and  the 
Chosen  Nation,  by  which  He  is  in  a  very  special  sense  their 
God,  and  they  have  a  special  obligation  to  bear  witness  for 
Him  to  the  rest  of  mankind.  An  old  English  word  for 
''covenant  is  ^testamejtf :  hence  the  '■Old  Testament  is 
the  Covenant  of  God  with  his  ancie^it  people  Israel. 
Whether  we  are  reading  the  full  history  of  the  Bible  or 
these  stories  selected  fro7n  it,  we  should  always  bear  in 
mind  this  main  thought  of  God'^s  Chosen  People  and  their 
mission. 

3 


Introduction  "^  Bible    Stories 

The  first  part  of  the  history  is  called  ^Genesis ' ;  that  is, 
*  Origiji.''  It  describes  the  fortnation  of  the  Chosen  Nation. 
They  had  not  yet  become  a  natioji,  but  were  in  what  is 
called  the  *■  patriarchal  stage ' :  that  is,  they  had  no  national 
govermnent,  but,  like  the  different  branches  of  a  family^ 
looked  to  the  authority  of  the  fathers  (or  ^patriarchs'')  for 
their  rule.  We  should  have  expected  such  a  history  to 
begin  with  the  earliest  of  these  ''Patriarchs'*  —  Abraham. 
As  a  fact,  however,  Genesis  goes  further  back  in  time,  in 
order  to  bring  forward  two  earlier  examples  of  covenants 
between  God  and  men.  After  relati?ig  the  Creation  of  the 
World,  the  history  tells  of  a  covenant  77iade  by  God  with 
Adam  and  Eve.  The  story  of  the  Te^nptatioti  in  the  Garden 
of  Ede?t  shows  how  this  covenant  was  broken,  and  man 
was  driven  out  of  Ede7i.  The  sin  thus  cojni7ie7tced  grew 
worse,  as  we  see  by  the  story  of  Cai7i  a7id  Abel.  The7i  we 
are  told  of  the  Flood,  a7id  the  dest7'uction  of  a  world  grown 
wholly  si7tful;  after  this  God  7nade  a7iother  cove7ia7it  with 
Noah  and  his  desce7ida7its.  These  two  covena7its  were 
made  with  Ada77i  a7id  Noah  as  ancestors  of  all  ma7ikind: 
the  7iext  story  tells  of  the  Call  of  Abraha77i  to  separate 
himself  fr 0771  the  rest  of  7nen,  with  the  pro77iise  that  he 
should  be  the  father  of  God^s  special  people. 

It  77iust  have  seemed  at  the  ti77ie  as  if  this  promised 

nation  would  never  C077ie  ifito  existe7ice,  for  Abraham  and 

his  wife  Sarah  grew  i7ito  years  without  a7ty  childrefi. 

Hence  the  prot7ii7ie7ice  of  the  story  which  relates  the  Birth 

4 


Genesis  d^  Introduction 

of  Isaac  in  AbrahanCs  old  age.  Again.,  while  Isaac  was 
still  a  yotiiky  his  life,  on  which  so  7nuch  depended.,  was  all 
but  brought  to  att  end,  not  through  disease  or  accident,  but  by 
a  volimtary  offering  tip  of  Isaac  in  sacrifice  at  the  conwiand 
of  God.  At  the  last  ino7ne?it  he  was  saved  from  death  : 
and  this  whole  incideiit  brings  out  how  Abraham'' s  descend- 
a?its  were  a  people  consecrated  to  a  sacred  purpose. 

The  story  of  the  Wooing  of  Rebekah  shows  the  care 
taken  in  the  selection  of  a  wife  for  Isaac,  worthy  to  be 
the  mother  of  the  great  people  to  come.  To  Isaac  and 
Rebekah  were  borti  two  sojis,  Esau  and  Jacob :  the  strange 
story  of  the  Stolen  Blessing  shows  how  the  younger  sup- 
planted the  elder  as  ancestor  of  the  coining  7iatio7i. 

This  Jacob,  afterward  nained  '  Israel^  had  twelve  sons, 
ancestors  of  the  twelve  tribes  i7i  the  future  nation.  Most 
of  these  childreji  of  Israel  led  aji  obscure  shepherd  life. 
Btit  07ie  of  them,  Joseph,  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of 
stro7ig  character  a7id great  powers.  After  a  life  of  stra7ige 
adventures,  Joseph  at  last  beca77ie  ruler  of  Egypt  imder 
its  ki7tg  Pharaoh.  The  fa77ious  story  of  Joseph  and  his 
Brethren  is  the  natural  close  of  Genesis,  for  it  bri7igs  the 
Children  of  Israel  i7ito  Egypt  —  the7t  one  of  the  worWs 
greatest  e7;ipires —  a7id  i7i  this  Egypt  the  7iext  stage  of  their 
existence  was  to  be  passed. 


Stories  from  Gea'esis 

i.     The  Creation  of  the  World 
ii.     The  Temptation  in  the  Garden  of  Eden 
iii.     Cain  and  Abel 
iv.     The  Flood 
V.     The  Call  of  Abraliam 
vi.     The  Birth  and  Offering  of  Isaac 
vii.     The  Wooing  of  Rebekah 

viii.     How  Jacob  stole  the  Blessing  from  his  Brother 
ix.     The  Story  of  Joseph  and  his  Brethren 
Joseph  and  his  Breth7'e7i  in  Canaan 
Joseph  as  a  Slave  ift  Egypt 
How  in  one  day  Joseph  passed  fro?n  a  Slave 

to  a  Prime  Minister 
Joseph  and  his  Brethren  in  Egypt 
Journey  oj  the  Children  oj  Israel  into  Egypt 
6 


The  Creation  of  the  World 

In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth. 
And  the  earth  was  waste  and  void  ;  and  darkness  was  upon 
the  face  of  the  deep :  and  the  spirit  of  God  moved  upon 
the  face  of  the  waters. 

And  God  said,  Let  there  be  light :  and  there  was  light. 
And  God  saw  the  light,  that  it  was  good  :  and  God  divided 
the  light  from  the  darkness.  And  God  called  the  light 
Day,  and  the  darkness  he  called  Night.  And  there  was 
evening  and  there  was  morning,  one  day. 

And  God  said.  Let  there  be  a  firmament  in  the  midst  of 
the  waters,  and  let  it  divide  the  waters  from  the  waters. 
And  God  made  the  firmament,  and  divided  the  waters 
which  were  under  the  firmament  from  the  waters  which 
were  above  the  firmament:  and  it  was  so.  And  God 
called  the  firmament  Heaven.  And  there  was  evening 
and  there  was  morning,  a  second  day. 

And   God   said,  Let   the  waters  under  the  heaven  be 

gathered  together  unto  one  place,  and  let  the  dry  land 

appear:    and  it  was  so.     And  God  called  the  dry  land 

Earth  ;  and  the  gathering  together  of  the  waters  called  he 

7 


The  Creation  "^  Bible    Stories 

Seas  :  and  God  saw  that  it  was  good.  And  God  said,  Let 
the  earth  put  forth  grass,  herb  yielding  seed,  and  fruit  tree 
bearing  fruit  after  its  kind,  wherein  is  the  seed  thereof, 
upon  the  earth :  and  it  was  so.  And  the  earth  brought 
forth  grass,  herb  yielding  seed  after  its  kind,  and  tree  bear- 
ing fruit,  wherein  is  the  seed  thereof,  after  its  kind :  and 
God  saw  that  it  was  good.  And  there  was  evening  and 
there  was  morning,  a  third  day. 

And  God  said,  Let  there  be  lights  in  the  firmament  of 
the  heaven  to  divide  the  day  from  the  night ;  and  let  them 
be  for  signs,  and  for  seasons  and  for  days  and  years  :  and 
let  them  be  for  lights  in  the  firmament  of  the  heaven  to  give 
light  upon  the  earth :  and  it  was  so.  And  God  made  the 
two  great  lights ;  the  greater  light  to  rule  the  day,  and  the 
lesser  light  to  rule  the  night :  he  made  the  stars  also.  And 
God  set  them  in  the  firmament  of  the  heaven  to  give  light 
upon  the  earth  and  to  rule  over  the  day  and  over  the  night, 
and  to  divide  the  light  from  the  darkness :  and  God  saw 
that  it  was  good.  And  there  was  evening  and  there  was 
morning,  a  fourth  day. 

And  God  said,  Let  the  waters  bring  forth  abundantly 
the  moving  creature  that  hath  life,  and  let  fowl  fly  above 
the  earth  in  the  open  firmament  of  heaven.  And  God 
created  the  great  sea-monsters,  and  every  living  creature 
that  moveth,  which  the  waters  brought  forth  abundantly, 
after  their  kinds,  and  every  winged  fowl  after  its  kind  :  and 
God  saw  that  it  was  good.    And  God  blessed  them,  saying, 


^e^esis  B^  The  Creation 

Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  fill  the  waters  in  the  seas,  and 
let  fowl  multiply  in  the  earth.  And  there  was  evening  and 
there  was  morning,  a  fifth  day. 

And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  the  living  creat- 
ure after  its  kind,  cattle,  and  creeping  thing,  and  beast  of 
the  earth  after  its  kind :  and  it  was  so.  And  God  made 
the  beast  of  the  earth  after  its  kind,  and  the  cattle  after 
their  kind,  and  every  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  ground 
after  its  kind :  and  God  saw  that  it  was  good.  And  God 
said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness : 
and  let  them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and 
Dver  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all 
the  earth,  and  over  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth 
jpon  the  earth.  And  God  created  man  in  his  own  image, 
n  the  image  of  God  created  he  him ;  male  and  female 
:reated  he  them.  And  God  blessed  them :  and  God  said 
mto  them.  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the 
iarth,  and  subdue  it ;  and  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of 
:he  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  every  living 
hing  that  moveth  upon  the  earth.  And  God  said.  Behold, 
have  given  you  every  herb  yielding  seed,  which  is  upon 
he  face  of  all  the  earth,  and  every  tree,  in  the  which  is  the 
ruit  of  a  tree  yielding  seed ;  to  you  it  shall  be  for  meat : 
md  to  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  to  every  fowl  of  the  air, 
md  to  every  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  wherein 
here  is  life,  I  have  given  every  green  herb  for  meat :  and 
t  was  so.  And  God  saw  every  thing  that  he  had  made, 
9 


The  Temptation  ^  Bible    Stories 

and,  behold,  it  was  very  good.    And  there  was  evening  and 
there  was  morning,  the  sixth  day. 

And  the  heaven  and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  all  the 
host  of  them.  And  on  the  seventh  day  God  finished  his 
work  which  he  had  made ;  and  he  rested  on  the  seventh 
day  from  all  his  work  which  he  had  made.  And  God 
blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  hallowed  it :  because  that  in 
it  he  rested  from  all  his  work  which  God  had  created  and 
made. 

ii 

The  Temptation  in  the  Garden  of  Eden 

And  the  Lord  God  planted  a  garden,  in  Eden.  And 
the  Lord  God  commanded  the  man,  saying.  Of  every 
tree  of  the  garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat :  but  of  the  tree 
of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of 
it :  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt 
surely  die. 

Now  the  serpent  was  more  subtil  than  any  beast  of  the 
field  which  the  Lord  God  had  made.  And  he  said  unto 
the  woman.  Yea,  hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  any 
tree  of  the  garden  ?  And  the  woman  said  unto  the  ser- 
pent. Of  the  fruit  of  the  trees  of  the  garden  we  may  eat : 
but  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
garden,  God  hath  said.  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  it,  neither  shall 


Genesis  B^  The  Temptation 

ye  touch  it,  lest  ye  die.  And  the  serpent  said  unto  the 
woman,  Ye  shall  not  surely  die :  for  God  doth  know  that 
in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  then  your  eyes  shall  be  opened, 
and  ye  shall  be  as  God,  knowing  good  and  evil.  And 
when  the  woman  saw  that  the  tree  was  good  for  food,  and 
that  it  was  a  delight  to  the  eyes,  and  that  the  tree  was  to  be 
desired  to  make  one  wise,  she  took  of  the  fruit  thereof,  and 
did  eat ;  and  she  gave  also  unto  her  husband  with  her, 
and  he  did  eat. 

And  they  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  God  walking  in 
the  garden  in  the  cool  of  the  day :  and  the  man  and  his 
wife  hid  themselves  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  God 
amongst  the  trees  of  the  garden.  And  the  Lord  God 
called  unto  the  man,  and  said  unto  him,  Where  art  thou  ? 
And  he  said,  I  heard  thy  voice  in  the  garden,  and  I  was 
afraid ;  and  I  hid  myself.  And  he  said.  Hast  thou  eaten 
of  the  tree,  whereof  I  commanded  thee  that  thou  shouldest 
not  eat?  And  the  man  said,  The  woman  whom  thou 
gavest  to  be  with  me,  she  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I  did 
eat.  And  the  Lord  God  said  unto  the  woman.  What  is 
this  thou  hast  done?  And  the  woman  said.  The  serpent 
beguiled  me,  and  I  did  eat.  And  the  Lord  God  said  unto 
the  serpent,  Because  thou  hast  done  this,  cursed  art  thou 
above  all  cattle,  and  above  every  beast  of  the  field  ;  upon 
thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,  and  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the 
days  of  thy  life :  and  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and 
the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed :   it  shall 


Cain  and  Abel  -^  Bible    Stories 

bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel.  Unto  the 
woman  he  said,  I  will  greatly  multiply  thy  sorrow ;  in  sor- 
row thou  shalt  bring  forth  children ;  and  thy  desire  shall 
be  to  thy  husband,  and  he  shall  rule  over  thee.  And  unto 
Adam  he  said.  Because  thou  hast  hearkened  unto  the  voice 
of  thy  wife,  and  hast  eaten  of  the  tree,  of  which  I  com- 
manded thee,  saying,  Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it :  cursed  is 
the  ground  for  thy  sake ;  in  toil  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the 
days  of  thy  life ;  thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring 
forth  to  thee ;  and  thou  sHalt  eat  the  herb  of  the  field ;  in 
the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return 
unto  the  ground ;  for  out  of  it  wast  thou  taken :  for  dust 
thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return. 

So  he  drove  out  the  man;  and  he  placed  at  the  east 
of  the  garden  of  Eden  the  Cherubim,  and  the  flame  of  a 
sword  which  turned  every  way,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree 
of  life. 

iii 

Cain  and  Abel 

Abel  was  a  keeper  of  sheep,  but  Cain  was  a  tiller  of  the 
ground.  And  in  process  of  time  it  came  to  pass,  that 
Cain  brought  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground  an  offering  unto 
the  Lord.  And  Abel,  he  also  brought  of  the  firstlings  of 
his  flock  and  of  the  fat  thereof.     And  the  Lord  had  re- 


Genesis  B^  The  Flood 

spect  unto  Abel  and  to  his  oifering :  but  unto  Cain  and  to 
his  offering  he  had  not  respect.  And  Cain  was  very  wroth, 
and  his  countenance  fell.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Cain, 
Why  art  thou  wroth?  and  why  is  thy  countenance  fallen? 
If  thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted?  and  if  thou 
doest  not  well,  sin  coucheth  at  the  door:  and  unto  thee  is 
its  desire,  but  thou  shouldest  rule  over  it.  And  Cain  told 
Abel  his  brother.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  were 
in  the  field,  that  Cain  rose  up  against  Abel  his  brother, 
and  slew  him.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Cain,  Where  is 
Abel  thy  brother?  And  he  said,  I  know  not:  am  I  my 
brother's  keeper?  And  he  said,  What  hast  thou  done? 
the  voice  of  thy  brother's  blood  crieth  unto  me  from  the 
ground.  And  now  cursed  art  thou  from  the  ground,  which 
hath  opened  her  mouth  to  receive  thy  brother's  blood 
from  thy  hand ;  when  thou  tillest  the  ground,  it  shall  not 
henceforth  yield  unto  thee  her  strength  ;  a  fugitive  and  a 
wanderer  shalt  thou  be  in  the  earth. 


IV 

The  Flood 

Noah  was  a  righteous  man :    Noah  walked  with  God. 
And  Noah  begat  three  sons,  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth. 
And  God  saw  the  earth,  and,  behold,  it  was  corrupt ; 
13 


The  Flood  -^9  Bible    Stories 

for  all  flesh  had  corrupted  his  way  upon  the  earth.  And 
God  said  unto  Noah,  The  end  of  all  flesh  is  come  before 
me  ;  for  the  earth  is  filled  with  violence  through  them  ; 
and,  behold,  I  will  destroy  them  with  the  earth.  Make 
thee  an  ark  of  gopher  wood ;  rooms  shalt  thou  make  in 
the  ark,  and  shalt  pitch  it  within  and  without  with  pitch. 
And  this  is  how  thou  shalt  make  it :  the  length  of  the 
ark  three  hundred  cubits,  the  breadth  of  it  fifty  cubits, 
and  the  height  of  it  thirty  cubits.  A  light  shalt  thou 
make  to  the'ark,  and  to  a  cubit  shalt  thou  finish  it  upward  ; 
and  the  door  of  the  ark  shalt  thou  set  in  the  side  thereof; 
with  lower,  second,  and  third  stories  shalt  thou  make  it. 
And  I,  behold,  I  do  bring  the  flood  of  waters  upon  the 
earth,  to  destroy  all  flesh,  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life, 
from  under  heaven ;  every  thing  that  is  in  the  earth  shall 
die.  But  I  will  establish  my  covenant  with  thee;  and 
thou  shalt  come  into  the  ark,  thou,  and  thy  sons,  and  thy 
wife,  and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee.  And  of  every  living 
thing  of  all  flesh,  two  of  every  sort  shalt  thou  bring  into 
the  ark,  to  keep  them  alive  with  thee ;  they  shall  be  male 
and  female.  Of  the  fowl  after  their  kind,  and  of  the  cattle 
after  their  kind,  of  every  creeping  thing  of  the  ground 
after  its  kind,  two  of  every  sort  shall  come  unto  thee,  to 
keep  them  alive.  And  take  thou  unto  thee  of  all  food 
that  is  eaten,  and  gather  it  to  thee;  and  it  shall  be  for 
food  for  thee,  and  for  them.  Thus  did  Noah ;  according 
to  all  that  God  commanded  him,  so  did  he. 
14 


Genesis  e^  The  Flood 

In  the  six  hundredth  year  of  Noah's  life,  in  the  second 
month,  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  month,  on  the  same 
day  were  all  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  broken  up, 
and  the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened.  And  the  rain 
was  upon  the  earth  forty  days  and  forty  nights.  In  the 
selfsame  day  entered  Noah,  and  Shem,  and  Ham,  and 
Japheth,  the  sons  of  Noah,  and  Noah's  wife,  and  the  three 
wives  of  his  sons  with  them,  into  the  ark;  they,  and 
every  beast  after  its  kind,  and  all  the  cattle  after  their 
kind,  and  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth  after  its  kind,  and  every  fowl  after  its  kind,  every 
bird  of  every  sort.  And  they  went  in  unto  Noah  into  the 
ark,  two  and  two  of  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life. 
And  they  that  went  in,  went  in  male  and  female  of  all 
flesh,  as  God  commanded  him :  and  the  Lord  shut  him 
in.  And  the  flood  was  forty  days  upon  the  earth ;  and 
the  waters  increased,  and  bare  up  the  ark,  and  it  was  lift 
up  above  the  earth.  And  the  waters  prevailed,  and  in- 
creased greatly  upon  the  earth ;  and  the  ark  went  upon 
the  face  of  the  waters.  And  the  waters  prevailed  exceed- 
ingly upon  the  earth  ;  and  all  the  high  mountains  that 
were  under  the  whole  heaven  were  covered.  Fifteen 
cubits  upward  did  the  waters  prevail ;  and  the  mountains 
were  covered.  And  every  living  thing  was  destroyed 
which  was  upon  the  face  of  the  ground,  both  man,  and 
cattle,  and  creeping  thing,  and  fowl  of  the  heaven  ;  and  they 
were  destroyed  from  the  earth :  and  Noah  only  was  left, 
15 


The  Flood  -«  Bible    Stories 

and  they  that  were  with  him  in  the  ark.     And  the  waters 
prevailed  upon  the  earth  an  hundred  and  fifty  days. 

And  God  remembered  Noah,  and  every  living  thing, 
and  all  the  cattle  that  were  with  him  in  the  ark :  and  God 
made  a  wind  to  pass  over  the  earth,  and  the  waters  as- 
suaged ;  the  fountains  also  of  the  deep  and  the  windows  of 
heaven  were  stopped,  and  the  rain  from  heaven  was  re- 
strained ;  and  the  waters  returned  from  off  the  earth  con- 
tinually :  and  after  the  end  of  an  hundred  and  fifty  days 
the  waters  decreased.  And  the  ark  rested  in  the  seventh 
month,  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  month,  upon  the 
mountains  of  Ararat.  And  the  waters  decreased  continu- 
ally until  the  tenth  month :  in  the  tenth  month,  on  the 
first  day  of  the  month,  were  the  tops  of  the  mountains 
seen.  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  forty  days,  that 
Noah  opened  the  window  of  the  ark  which  he  had  made : 
and  he  sent  forth  a  raven,  and  it  went  forth  to  and  fro, 
until  the  waters  were  dried  up  from  oiT  the  earth.  And 
he  sent  forth  a  dove  from  him,  to  see  if  the  waters  were 
abated  from  off  the  face  of  the  ground ;  but  the  dove 
found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  and  she  returned 
unto  him  to  the  ark,  for  the  waters  were  on  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth :  and  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  took  her, 
and  brought  her  in  unto  him  into  the  ark.  And  he  stayed 
yet  other  seven  days ;  and  again  he  sent  forth  the  dove 
out  of  the  ark  ;  and  the  dove  came  in  to  him  at  eventide  ; 
and,  lo,  in  her  mouth  an  olive  leaf  pluckt  off:  so  Noah 
i6 


Genesis  B^  The  Flood 

knew  that  the  waters  were  abated  from  off  the  earth. 
And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days ;  and  sent  forth  the 
dove;  and  she  returned  not  again  unto  him  any  more. 
And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  six  hundred  and  first  year,  in 
the  first  month,  the  first  day  of  the  month,  the  waters 
were  dried  up  from  off  tlie  earth  :  and  Noah  removed  the 
covering  of  the  ark,  and  looked,  and,  behold,  the  face  of 
the  ground  was  dried.  And  in  the  second  month,  on  the 
seven  and  twentieth  day  of  the  month,  was  the  earth  dry. 

And  God  spake  unto  Noah,  saying.  Go  forth  of  the  ark, 
thou,  and  thy  wife,  and  thy  sons,  and  thy  sons'  wives  with 
thee.  Bring  forth  with  thee  every  living  thing  that  is 
with  thee  of  all  flesh,  both  fowl,  and  cattle,  and  every 
creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth ;  that  they 
may  breed  abundantly  in  the  earth,  and  be  fruitful,  and 
multiply  upon  the  earth.  And  Noah  went  forth,  and  his 
sons,  and  his  wife,  and  his  sons'  wives  with  him :  every 
beast,  every  creeping  thing,  and  every  fowl,  whatsoever 
moveth  upon  the  earth,  after  their  families,  went  forth  out 
of  the  ark. 

And  God  spake  unto  Noah,  and  to  his  sons  with  him, 
saying,  And  I,  behold,  I  establish  my  covenant  with  you, 
and  with  your  seed  after  you ;  and  with  every  living  creat- 
ure that  is  with  you,  the  fowl,  the  cattle,  and  every  beast 
of  the  earth  with  you ;  of  all  that  go  out  of  the  ark,  even 
every  beast  of  the  earth.  This  is  the  token  of  the  cove- 
nant which  I  make  between  me  and  you  and  every  living 
c  17 


Abraham  -^  Bible    Stories 

creature  that  is  with  you,  for  perpetual  generations  :  I  do 
set  my  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it  shall  be  for  a  token  of  a 
covenant  between  me  and  the  earth.  And  it  shall  come 
to  pass,  when  I  bring  a  cloud  over  the  earth,  that  the  bow 
shall  be  seen  in  the  cloud,  and  I  will  remember  my  covenant, 
which  is  between  me  and  you  and  every  living  creature  of 
all  flesh  ;  and  the  waters  shall  no  more  become  a  flood  to 
destroy  all  flesh. 

V 

The  Call  of  Abraham 

Now  the  Lord  said  unto  Abram,  Get  thee  out  of  thy 
country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy  father's  house, 
unto  the  land  that  I  will  shew  thee  :  and  I  will  make  of 
thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will  bless  thee,  and  make  thy 
name  great ;  and  be  thou  a  blessing :  and  I  will  bless 
them  that  bless  thee,  and  him  that  curseth  thee  will  I 
curse  :  and  in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed.  So  Abram  went,  as  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto 
him ;  and  Abram  was  seventy  and  five  years  old  when  he 
departed  out  of  Haran.  And  Abram  took  Sarai  his  wife, 
and  they  went  forth  to  go  into  the  land  of  Canaan;  and 
into  the  land  of  Canaan  they  came. 

And  when  Abram  was  ninety  years  old  and  nine,  the 
Lord  appeared  to  Abram,  and  said  unto  him,  I  am  God 
iS 


Genesis  ^  Isaac 

Almighty ;  walk  before  me,  and  be  thou  perfect.  And  I 
will  make  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  will 
multiply  thee  exceedingly.  And  Abram  fell  on  his  face : 
and  God  talked  with  him,  saying,  As  for  me,  behold,  my 
covenant  is  with  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  the  father  of  a 
multitude  of  nations.  Neither  shall  thy  name  any  more 
be  called  Abram,  but  thy  name  shall  be  ^  Abraham ' ;  for  the 
'father  of  a  multitude  of  nations  '  have  I  made  thee.  And 
I  will  make  thee  exceeding  fruitful,  and  I  will  make  nations 
of  thee,  and  kings  shall  come  out  of  thee.  And  I  will 
establish  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee  and  thy  seed 
after  thee  throughout  their  generations  for  an  everlasting 
covenant,  to  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  after 
thee.  And  I  will  give  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after 
thee,  the  land  of  thy  sojournings,  all  the  land  of  Canaan, 
for  an  everlasting  possession;   and  I  will  be  their  God. 


VI 

The  Birth  and  Offering  of  Isaac 

And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Abraham  by  the  oaks  of 
Mamre,  as  he  sat  in  the  tent  door  in  the  heat  of  the  day ; 
and  he  lift  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and,  lo,  three  men 
stood  over  against  him :  and  when  he  saw  them,  he  ran  to 
meet  them  from  the  tent  door,  and  bowed  himself  to  the 
19 


Isaac  -^  Bible    Stories 

earth,  and  said,  My  lord,  if  now  I  have  found  favour  in  thy 
sight,  pass  not  away,  I  pray  thee,  from  thy  servant :  let 
now  a  little  water  be  fetched,  and  wash  your  feet,  and  rest 
yourselves  under  the  tree :  and  I  will  fetch  a  morsel  of 
bread,  and  comfort  ye  your  heart ;  after  that  ye  shall  pass 
on :  forasmuch  as  ye  are  come  to  your  servant.  And 
they  said,  So  do,  as  thou  hast  said.  And  Abraham  hast- 
ened into  the  tent  unto  Sarah,  and  said,  Make  ready 
quickly  three  measures  of  fine  meal,  knead  it,  and  make 
cakes.  And  Abraham  ran  unto  the  herd,  and  fetched  a 
calf  tender  and  good,  and  gave  it  unto  the  servant ;  and 
he  hasted  to  dress  it.  And  he  took  butter,  and  milk,  and 
the  calf  which  he  had  dressed,  and  set  it  before  them ; 
and  he  stood  by  them  under  the  tree,  and  they  did  eat. 
And  they  said  unto  him,  Where  is  Sarah  thy  wife?  And 
he  said.  Behold,  in  the  tent.  And  he  said,  I  will  certainly 
return  unto  thee  when  the  season  cometh  round  ;  and,  lo, 
Sarah  thy  wife  shall  have  a  son.  And  Sarah  heard  in  the 
tent  door,  which  was  behind  him.  Now  Abraham  and 
Sarah  were  old,  and  well  stricken  in  age.  And  Sarah 
laughed  within  herself.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Abraham, 
Wherefore  did  Sarah  laugh,  saying,  Shall  I  of  a  sureftv 
bear  a  child,  which  am  old?  Is  any  thing  too  hard  for  the 
Lord?  At  the  set  time  I  will  return  unto  thee,  when  the 
season  cometh  round,  and  Sarah  shall  have  a  son.  Then 
Sarah  denied,  saying,  I  laughed  not ;  for  she  was  afraid. 
And  he  said,  Nay ;  but  thou  didst  laugh. 


Genesis  6«-  Isaac 

And  the  Lord  visited  Sarah  as  he  had  said,  and  the 
Lord  «lid  unto  Sarah  as  he  had  spoken.  And  Sarah 
bare  Abraham  a  son  in  his  old  age,  at  the  set  time  of 
which  God  had  spoken  to  him.  And  Abraham  called  the 
name  of  his  son  that  was  born  unto  him,  whom  Sarah  bare 
to  him,  Isaac.  And  Abraham  was  an  hundred  years  old, 
when  his  son  ^ Isaac'  was  born  unto  him.  And  Sarah 
said,  God  hath  made  me  to  ^  laugh ' :  every  one  that 
heareth  will  '  laugh '  with  me ;  for  I  have  borne  Abraham 
a  son  in  his  old  age. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  God  did  prove  Abraham,  and 
said  unto  him,  Abraham;  and  he  said,  Here  am  I.  And 
he  said.  Take  now  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  whom  thou 
lovest,  even  Isaac,  and  get  thee  into  the  land  of  Moriah  ; 
and  offer  him  there  for  a  burnt  offering  upon  one  of  the 
mountains  which  I  will  tell  thee  of.  And  Abraham  rose 
early  in  the  morning,  and  saddled  his  ass,  and  took  two 
of  his  young  men  with  him,  and  Isaac  his  son ;  and  he 
clave  the  wood  for  the  burnt  offering,  and  rose  up,  and 
went  unto  the  place  of  which  God  had  told  him.  On  the 
third  day  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  the  place 
afar  off.  And  Abraham  said  unto  his  young  men,  Abide 
ye  here  with  the  ass,  and  I  and  the  lad  will  go  yonder ; 
and  we  will  worship,  and  come  again  to  you.  And  Abra- 
ham took  the  wood  of  the  burnt  offering,  and  laid  it  upon 
Isaac  his  son ;  and  he  took  in  his  hand  the  fire  and  the 
knife ;  and  they  went  both  of  them  together.     And  Isaac 


Isaac  -^  Bible    Stories 

spake  unto  Abraham  his  father,  and  said,  My  father :  and 
he  said,  Here  am  I,  my  son.  And  he  said,  Behold,  the 
fire  and  the  wood :  but  where  is  the  lamb  for  a  burnt 
offering?  And  Abraham  said,  God  will  provide  himself 
the  lamb  for  a  burnt  offering,  my  son  :  so  they  went  both 
of  them  together.  And  they  came  to  the  place  which 
God  had  told  him  of;  and  Abraham  built  the  altar  there, 
and  laid  the  wood  in  order,  and  bound  Isaac  his  son,  and 
laid  him  on  the  altar,  upon  the  wood.  And  Abraham 
stretched  forth  his  hand,  and  took  the  knife  to  slay  his 
son.  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  called  unto  him  out  of 
heaven,  and  said,  Abraham,  Abraham :  and  he  said,  Here 
am  I.  And  he  said.  Lay  not  thine  hand  upon  the  lad, 
neither  do  thou  any  thing  unto  him :  for  now  I  know  that 
thou  fearest  God,  seeing  thou  hast  not  withheld  thy  son, 
thine  only  son,  from  me.  And  Abraham  hfted  up  his 
eyes,  and  looked,  and  behold,  behind  him  a  ram  caught 
in  the  thicket  by  his  horns  :  and  Abraham  went  and  took 
the  ram,  and  offered  him  up  for  a  burnt  offering  in  the 
stead  of  his  son.  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  called  unto 
Abraham  a  second  time  out  of  heaven,  and  said,  By  myself 
have  I  sworn,  saith  the  Lord,  because  thou  hast  done  this 
thing,  and  hast  not  withheld  thy  son,  thine  only  son  :  that 
in  blessing  I  will  bless  thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will  mul- 
tiply thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  the  heaven,  and  as  the  sand 
which  is  upon  the  sea  shore ;  and  thy  seed  shall  possess 
the  gate  of  his  enemies;    and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the 

22 


Genesis  S«-  Rebekah 

nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed  ;  because  thou  hast  obeyed 
my  voice.  So  Abraham  returned  unto  his  young  men, 
and  they  rose  up  and  went  together  to  Beer-sheba ;  and 
Abraham  dwelt  at  Beer-sheba. 


VU 

The  Wooing  of  Rebekah 

And  Abraham  was  old,  and  well  stricken  in  age :  and 
the  Lord  had  blessed  Abraham  in  all  things.  And  Abra- 
ham said  unto  his  servant,  the  elder  of  his  house,  that 
ruled  over  all  that  he  had :  I  will  make  thee  swear  by  the 
Lord,  the  God  of  heaven  and  the  God  of  the  earth,  that 
thou  shalt  not  take  a  wife  for  my  son  of  the  daughters  of 
the  Canaanites,  among  whom  I  dwell :  but  thou  shalt  go 
unto  my  country,  and  to  my  kindred,  and  take  a  wife  for 
my  son  Isaac.  And  the  servant  said  unto  him,  Peradven- 
ture  the  woman  will  not  be  willing  to  follow  me  unto  this 
land :  must  I  needs  bring  thy  son  again  unto  the  land 
from  whence  thou  earnest?  And  Abraham  said  unto  him, 
Beware  thou  that  thou  bring  not  my  son  thither  again. 
The  Lord,  the  God  of  heaven,  that  took  me  from  my 
father''s  house,  and  from  the  land  of  my  nativity,  and  that 
spake  unto  me,  and  that  sware  unto  me,  saying.  Unto  thy 
seed  will  I  give  this  land ;  he  shall  send  his  angel  before 
23 


Rebekah  ^  Bible    Stories 

thee,  and  thou  shalt  take  a  wife  for  my  son  from  thence. 
And  if  the  woman  be  not  willing  to  follow  thee,  then  thou 
shalt  be  clear  from  this  my  oath ;  only  thou  shalt  not 
bring  my  son  thither  again.  And  the  servant  sware  to 
Abraham  concerning  this  matter. 

And  the  servant  took  ten  camels,  of  the  camels  of  his 
master,  and  departed ;  having  all  goodly  things  of  his 
master's  in  his  hand :  and  he  arose,  and  went  to  Meso- 
potamia, unto  the  city  of  Nahor.  And  he  made  the  camels 
to  kneel  down  without  the  city  by  the  well  of  water  at  the 
time  of  evening,  the  time  that  women  go  out  to  draw 
water.  And  he  said,  O  Lord,  the  God  of  my  master 
Abraham,  send  me,  I  pray  thee,  good  speed  this  day,  and 
shew  kindness  unto  my  master  Abraham.  Behold,  I 
stand  by  the  fountain  of  water ;  and  the  daughters  of  the 
men  of  the  city  come  out  to  draw  water :  and  let  it  come 
to  pass,  that  the  damsel  to  whom  I  shall  say.  Let  down 
thy  pitcher,  I  pray  thee,  that  I  may  drink ;  and  she  shall 
say,  Drink,  and  I  will  give  thy  camels  drink  also  :  let  the 
same  be  she  that  thou  hast  appointed  for  thy  servant 
Isaac;  and  thereby  shall  I  know  that  thou  hast  shewed 
kindness  unto  my  master.  And  it  came  to  pass,  before 
he  had  done  speaking,  that,  behold,  Rebekah  came  out, 
who  was  born  to  Bethuel  the  son  of  Milcah,  the  wife  of 
Nahor,  Abraham's  brother,  with  her  pitcher  upon  her 
shoulder :  and  the  damsel  was  very  fair  to  look  upon. 
And  she  went  down  to  the  fountain,  and  filled  her  pitcher, 
24 


Genesis  d^  Rebekah 

and  came  up.  And  the  servant  ran  to  meet  her,  and  said, 
Give  me  to  drink,  I  pray  thee,  a  Httle  water  of  thy  pitcher. 
And  she  said.  Drink,  my  lord:  and  she  hasted,  and  let 
down  her  pitcher  upon  her  hand,  and  gave  him  drink. 
And  when  she  had  done  giving  him  drink,  she  said,  I  will 
draw  for  thy  camels  also,  until  they  have  done  drinking. 
And  she  hasted,  and  emptied  her  pitcher  into  the  trough, 
and  ran  again  unto  the  well  to  draw,  and  drew  for  all  his 
camels.  And  the  man  looked  stedfastly  on  her;  holding 
his  peace,  to  know  whether  the  Lord  had  made  his  journey 
prosperous  or  not.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  the  camels 
had  done  drinking,  that  the  man  took  a  golden  ring  of 
half  a  shekel  weight,  and  two  bracelets  for  her  hands  of 
ten  shekels  weight  of  gold  ;  and  said,  Whose  daughter  art 
thou?  tell  me,  I  pray  thee.  Is  there  room  in  thy  father's 
house  for  us  to  lodge  in?  And  she  said  unto  him,  I  am 
the  daughter  of  Bethuel  the  son  of  Milcah,  which  she  bare 
unto  Nahor.  She  said  moreover  unto  him.  We  have  both 
straw  and  provender  enough,  and  room  to  lodge  in.  And 
the  man  bowed  his  head,  and  worshipped  the  Lord.  And 
he  said.  Blessed  be  the  Lord,  the  God  of  my  master 
Abraham,  who  hath  not  forsaken  his  mercy  and  his  truth 
toward  my  master :  as  for  me,  the  Lord  hath  led  me  in 
the  way  to  the  house  of  my  master's  brethren. 

And  the  damsel  ran,  and  told  her  mother's  house  accord- 
ing to  these  words.  And  Rebekah  had  a  brother,  and  his 
name  was  Laban  :  and  Laban  ran  out  unto  the  man,  unto 

25 


Rebekah  -^  Bible    Stories 

the  fountain./ And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  saw  the  ring, 
and  the  bracelets  upon  his  sister's  hands,  and  when  he 
heard  the  words  of  Rebekah  his  sister,  saying,  Thus  spake 
the  man  unto  me ;  that  he  came  unto  the  man ;  and,  be- 
hold, he  stood  by  the  camels  at  the  fountain.  And  he 
said.  Come  in,  thou  blessed  of  the  Lord  ;  wherefore  stand- 
est  thou  without?  for  I  have  prepared  the  house,  and  room 
for  the  camels.  And  the  man  came  into  the  house,  and 
he  ungirded  the  camels  ;  and  he  gave  straw  and  provender 
for  the  camels,  and  water  to  wash  his  feet  and  the  men's 
feet  that  were  with  him.  And  there  was  set  meat  before 
him  to  eat:  but  he  said,  I  will  not  eat,  until  I  have  told 
mine  errand.  And  he  said.  Speak  on.  And  he  said,  I 
am  Abraham's  servant.  And  the  Lord  hath  blessed  my 
master  greatly;  and  he  is  become  great:  and  he  hath 
given  him  flocks  and  herds,  and  silver  and  gold,  and  men- 
servants  and  maidservants,  and  camels  and  asses.  And 
Sarah  my  master's  wife  bare  a  son  to  my  master  when  she 
was  old :  and  unto  him  hath  he  given  all  that  he  hath. 
And  my  master  made  me  swear,  saying,  Thou  shalt  not 
take  a  wife  for  my  son  of  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites, 
in  whose  land  I  dwell :  but  thou  shalt  go  unto  my  father's 
house,  and  to  my  kindred,  and  take  a  wife  for  my  son. 
And  I  said  unto  my  master,  Peradventure  the  woman  will 
not  follow  me.  And  he  said  unto  me,  The  Lord,  before 
whom  I  walk,  will  send  his  angel  with  thee,  and  prosper 
thy  way ;  and  thou  shalt  take  a  wife  for  my  son  of  my 
26 


Genesis  Q^  Rebekah 

kindred,  and  of  my  father's  house:  then  shalt  thou  be 
clear  from  my  oath,  when  thou  comest  to  my  kindred  ;  and 
if  they  give  her  not  to  thee,  thou  shalt  be  clear  from  my 
oath.     And  I  came  this  day  unto  the  fountain,  and  said, 

0  Lord,  the  God  of  my  master  Abraham,  if  now  thou  do 
prosper  my  way  which  I  go  :  behold,  I  stand  by  the  foun- 
tain of  water ;  and  let  it  come  to  pass,  that  the  maiden 
which  cometh  forth  to  draw,  to  whom  I  shall  say.  Give  me, 

1  pray  thee,  a  little  w^ater  of  thy  pitcher  to  drink  ;  and  she 
shall  say  to  me,  Both  drink  thou,  and  I  will  also  draw  for 
thy  camels :  let  the  same  be  the  woman  whom  the  Lord 
hath  appointed  for  my  master^s  son.  And  before  I  had 
done  speaking  in  mine  heart,  behold,  Rebekah  came  forth 
with  her  pitcher  on  her  shoulder ;  and  she  went  down  unto 
the  fountain,  and  drew :  and  I  said  unto  her,  Let  me  drink, 
I  pray  thee.  And  she  made  haste,  and  let  down  her 
pitcher  from  her  shoulder,  and  said,  Drink,  and  I  will  give 
thy  camels  drink  also :  so  I  drank,  and  she  made  the 
camels  drink  also.  And  I  asked  her,  and  said,  Whose 
daughter  art  thou?  And  she  said.  The  daughter  of  Beth- 
uel,  Nahor's  son,  whom  Milcah  bare  unto  him  :  and  I  put 
the  ring  upon  her  nose,  and  the  bracelets  upon  her  hands. 
And  I  bowed  my  head,  and  worshipped  the  Lord,  and 
blessed  the  Lord,  the  God  of  my  master  Abraham,  which 
had  led  me  in  the  right  way  to  take  my  master's  brother's 
daughter  for  his  son.^And  now  if  ye  will  deal  kindly  and 
truly  with  my  master,  tell  me :  and  if  not,  tell  me ;  that  I 

27 


Rebekah  ^  Bible    Stories 

may  turn  to  the  right  hand,  or  to  the  left.  Then  Laban 
and  Bethuel  answered  and  said,  The  thing  proceedeth 
from  the  Lord:  we  cannot  speak  unto  thee  bad  or  good. 
Behold,  Rebekah  is  before  thee,  take  her,  and  go,  and  let 
her  be  thy  master's  son's  wife,  as  the  Lord  hath  spoken. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  Abraham's  servant  heard 
their  words,  he  bowed  himself  down  to  the  earth  unto  the 
Lord.  And  the  servant  brought  forth  jewels  of  silver,  and 
jewels  of  gold,  and  raiment,  and  gave  them  to  Rebekah  :  he 
gave  also  to  her  brother  and  to  her  mother  precious  things. 
And  they  did  eat  and  drink,  he  and  the  men  that  were 
with  him,  and  tarried  all  night ;  and  they  rose  up  in  the 
morning,  and  he  said,  Send  me  away  unto  my  master. 
And  her  brother  and  her  mother  said,  Let  the  damsel  abide 
with  us  a  few  days,  at  the  least  ten ;  after  that  she  shall 
go.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Hinder  me  not,  seeing  the 
Lord  hath  prospered  my  way ;  send  me  away  that  I  may 
go  to  my  master.  And  they  said,  We  will  call  the  damsel, 
and  inquire  at  her  mouth.  And  they  called  Rebekah,  and 
said  unto  her.  Wilt  thou  go  with  this  man?  And  she  said, 
I  will  go.  And  they  sent  away  Rebekah  their  sister,  and 
her  nurse,  and  Abraham's  servant,  and  his  men.  And 
they  blessed  Rebekah,  and  said  unto  her.  Our  sister,  be 
thou  the  mother  of  thousands  of  ten  thousands,  and  let 
thy  seed  possess  the  gates  of  those  which  hate  them.  And 
Rebekah  arose,  and  her  damsels,  and  they  rode  upon  the 
camels,  and  followed  the  man :  and  the  servant  took  Re- 
28 


Genesis  d^  Jacob 

bekah,  and  went  his  way.  And  Isaac  went  out  to  meditate 
in  the  field  at  the  eventide :  and  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and 
saw,  and,  behold,  there  were  camels  coming.  And  Rebek- 
ah  lifted  up  her  eyes,  and  when  she  saw  Isaac,  she  lighted 
off  the  camel.  And  she  said  unto  the  servant,  What  mar 
is  this  that  walketh  in  the  field  to  meet  us  ?  And  the  ser- 
vant said.  It  is  my  master:  and  she  took  her  veil,  and 
covered  herself.  And  the  servant  told  Isaac  all  the  things 
that  he  had  done.  And  Isaac  brought  her  into  his  mother 
Sarah's  tent,  and  took  Rebekah,  and  she  became  his  wife ; 
and  he  loved  her:  and  Isaac  was  comforted  after  his 
mother's  death. 

viii 

How  Jacob  stole  the  Blessing  from  his  Brother 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  Isaac  was  old,  and  his 
eyes  were  dim,  so  that  he  could  not  see,  he  called  Esau  his 
elder  son,  and  said  unto  him,  My  son :  and  he  said  unto 
him.  Here  am  I.  And  he  said,  Behold  now,  I  am  old,  I 
know  not  the  day  of  my  death.  Now  therefore  take,  I 
pray  thee,  thy  weapons,  thy  quiver  and  thy  bow,  and  go 
out  to  the  field,  and  take  me  venison ;  and  make  me  sa- 
voury meat,  such  as  I  love,  and  bring  it  to  me,  that  I  may 
eat ;  that  my  soul  may  bless  thee  before  I  die. 

And  Rebekah  heard  when  Isaac  spake  to  Esau  his  son. 


Jacob  -^  Bible    Stories 

And  Esau  went  to  the  field  to  hunt  for  venison,  and  to 
bring  it.  And  Rebekah  spake  unto  Jacob  her  son,  saying, 
Behold,  I  heard  thy  father  speak  unto  Esau  thy  brother, 
saying.  Bring  me  venison,  and  make  me  savoury  meat,  that 
I  may  eat,  and  bless  thee  before  the  Lord  before  my  death. 
Now  therefore,  my  son,  obey  my  voice  according  to  that 
which  I  command  thee.  Go  now  to  the  flock,  and  fetch 
me  from  thence  two  good  kids  of  the  goats ;  and  I  v/ill 
make  them  savoury  meat  for  thy  father,  such  as  he  loveth  ; 
and  thou  shalt  bring  it  to  thy  father,  that  he  may  eat,  so 
that  he  may  bless  thee  before  his  death.  And  Jacob  said 
to  Rebekah  his  mother,  Behold,  Esau  my  brother  is  a' 
hairy  man,  and  I  am  a  smooth  man.  My  father  peradvent- 
ure  will  feel  me,  and  I  shall  seem  to  him  as  a  deceiver ; 
and  I  shall  bring  a  curse  upon  me,  and  not  a  blessing. 
And  his  mother  said  unto  him,  Upon  me  be  thy  curse,  my 
son  :  only  obey  my  voice,  and  go  fetch  me  them.  And  he 
went,  and  fetched,  and  brought  them  to  his  mother :  and 
his  mother  made  savoury  meat,  such  as  his  father  loved. 
And  Rebekah  took  the  goodly  raiment  of  Esau  her  elder 
son,  which  were  with  her  in  the  house,  and  put  them  upon 
Jacob  her  younger  son :  and  she  put  the  skins  of  the  kids 
of  the  goats  upon  his  hands,  and  upon  the  smooth  of  his 
neck  :  and  she  gave  the  savoury  meat  and  the  bread,  which 
she  had  prepared,  into  the  hand  of  her  son  Jacob. 

And  he  came  unto  his  father,  and  said.  My  father :  and 
he  said.  Here  am  I ;  who  art  thou,  my  son.?     And  Jacob 
30 


Genesis  B«^  Jacob 

said  unto  his  father,  I  am  Esau  thy  firstborn ;  I  have  done 
according  as  thou  badest  me :  arise,  I  pray  thee,  sit  and 
eat  of  my  venison,  that  thy  soul  may  bless  me.  And  Isaac 
said  unto  his  son,  How  is  it  that  thou  hast  found  it  so  quickly, 
my  son?  And  he  said.  Because  the  Lord  thy  God  sent 
me  good  speed.  And  Isaac  said  unto  Jacob,  Come  near, 
I  pray  thee,  that  I  may  feel  thee,  my  son,  whether  thou  be 
my  very  son  Esau  or  not.  And  Jacob  went  near  unto 
Isaac  his  father ;  and  he  felt  him,  and  said.  The  voice  is 
Jacobus  voice,  but  the  hands  are  the  hands  of  Esau.  And 
he  discerned  him  not,  because  his  hands  were  hairy,  as  his 
brother  Esau's  hands :  so  he  blessed  him.  And  he  said, 
Art  thou  my  very  son  Esau  ?  And  he  said,  I  am.  And  he 
said.  Bring  it  near  to  me,  and  I  will  eat  of  my  son's  venison, 
that  my  soul  may  bless  thee.  And  he  brought  it  near  to  him, 
and  he  did  eat :  and  he  brought  him  wine,  and  he  drank. 

And  his  father  Isaac  said  unto  him,  Come  near  now,  and 
kiss  me,  my  son.  And  he  came  near,  and  kissed  him: 
and  he  smelled  the  smell  of  his  raiment,  and  blessed  him, 
and  said : 

See,  the  smell  of  my  son 

Is  as  the  smell  of  a  field  which  the  Lord  hath 
blessed : 
And  God  give  thee  of  the  dew  of  heaven, 
And  of  the  fatness  of  the  earth, 
And  plenty  of  corn  and  wine : 
31 


Jacob  -^  Bible    Stories 

Let  peoples  serve  thee, 

And  nations  bow  down  to  thee : 
Be  lord  over  thy  brethren, 

And  let  thy  mother's  sons  bow  down  to  thee : 
Cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee, 

And  blessed  be  every  one  that  blesseth  thee. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  as  soon  as  Isaac  had  made  an  end 
of  blessing  Jacob,  and  Jacob  was  yet  scarce  gone  out  from 
the  presence  of  Isaac  his  father,  that  Esau  his  brother  came 
in  from  his  hunting.  And  he  also  made  savoury  meat,  and 
brought  it  unto  his  father ;  and  he  said  unto  his  father,  Let 
my  father  arise,  and  eat  of  his  son's  venison,  that  thy  soul 
may  bless  me.  And  Isaac  his  father  said  unto  him,  Who 
art  thou?  And  he  said,  I  am  thy  son,  thy  firstborn,  Esau. 
And  Isaac  trembled  very  exceedingly,  and  said,  Who  then  is 
he  that  hath  taken  venison,  and  brought  it  me,  and  I  have 
eaten  of  all  before  thou  camest,  and  have  blessed  him?  yea, 
and  he  shall  be  blessed.  When  Esau  heard  the  words  of 
his  father,  he  cried  with  an  exceeding  great  and  bitter  cry, 
and  said  unto  his  father,  Bless  me,  even  me  also,  O  my 
father.  And  he  said.  Thy  brother  came  with  guile,  and 
hath  taken  away  thy  blessing.  And  he  said,  Is  not  he 
rightly  named  'Jacob'?  for  he  hath  'supplanted'  me  these 
two  times :  he  took  away  my  birthright ;  and,  behold,  now 
he  hath  taken  away  my  blessing.  And  he  said.  Hast  thou 
not  reserved  a  blessing  for  me  ?  And  Isaac  answered  and 
32 


Genesis  B«*  Jacob 

said  unto  Esau,  Behold,  I  have  made  him  thy  lord,  and  all 
his  brethren  have  I  given  to  him  for  servants ;  and  with 
corn  and  wine  have  I  sustained  him :  and  what  then  shall 
I  do  for  thee,  my  son?  And  Esau  said  unto  his  father, 
Hast  thou  but  one  blessing,  my  father?  bless  me,  even 
me  also,  O  my  father.  And  Esau  lifted  up  his  voice,  and 
wept.     And  Isaac  his  father  answered  and  said  unto  him : 

Behold,  away  from  the  fatness  of  the  earth  shall  be  thy 

dwelling. 
And  away  from  the  dew  of  heaven  from  above ; 

And  by  thy  sword  thou  shalt  live  : 
And  thou  shalt  serve  thy  brother ; 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  when  thou  shalt  break  loose, 

That  thou  shalt  shake  his  yoke  from  off  thy  neck. 

And  Esau  hated  Jacob  because  of  the  blessing  where- 
with his  father  blessed  him :  and  Esau  said  in  his  heart, 
The  days  of  mourning  for  my  father  are  at  hand  ;  then 
will  I  slay  my  brother  Jacob.  And  the  words  of  Esau  her 
elder  son  were  told  to  Rebekah  ;  and  she  sent  and  called 
Jacob  her  younger  son,  and  said  unto  him.  Behold  thy 
brother  Esau,  as  touching  thee,  doth  comfort  himself,  pur- 
posing to  kill  thee.  Now  therefore,  my  son,  obey  my 
voice ;  and  arise,  flee  thou  to  Laban  my  brother  to  Haran  ; 
and  tarry  with  him  a  few  days,  until  thy  brother's  fury 
turn  away ;  until  thy  brother's  anger  turn  away  from  thee, 
D  33 


Jacob  ^  Bible    Stories 

and  he  forget  that  which  thou  hast  done  to  him  :  then  I 
will  send,  and  fetch  thee  from  thence :  why  should  I  be 
bereaved  of  you  both  in  one  day  ? 

And  Jacob  went  out  from  Beer-sheba,  and  went  toward 
Haran.  And  he  lighted  upon  a  certain  place,  and  tarried 
there  all  night,  because  the  sun  was  set ;  and  he  took  one 
of  the  stones  of  the  place,  and  put  it  under  his  head, 
and  lay  down  in  that  place  to  sleep.  And  he  dreamed, 
and  behold  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it 
reached  to  heaven  :  and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascend- 
ing and  descending  on  it.  And,  behold,  the  Lord  stood 
above  it,  and  said,  I  am  the  Lord  the  God  of  Abraham 
thy  father,  and  the  God  of  Isaac:  the  land  whereon  thou 
liest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  ;  and  thy  seed 
shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  thou  shalt  spread 
abroad  to  the  v/est,  and  to  the  east,  and  to  the  north,  and 
to  the  south  :  and  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the 
families  of  the  earth  be  blessed.  And,  behold,  I  am  with 
thee,  and  will  keep  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest,  and 
will  bring  thee  again  into  this  land ;  for  I  will  not  leave 
thee,  until  I  have  done  that  which  I  have  spoken  to  thee 
of.  And  Jacob  awaked  out  of  his  sleep,  and  he  said, 
Surely  the  Lord  is  in  this  place ;  and  I  knew  it  not. 
And  he  was  afraid,  and  said.  How  dreadful  is  this  place! 
this  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the 
gate  of  heaven.  And  Jacob  rose  up  early  in  the  morning, 
and  took  the  stone  that  he  had  put  under  his  head,  and 
34 


Genesis  ^  Joseph 

set  it  up  for  a  pillar,  and  poured  oil  upon  the  top  of  it. 
And  he  called  the  name  of  that  place  Beth-el.  And  Jacob 
vowed  a  vow,  saying,  If  God  will  be  with  me,  and  will  keep 
me  in  this  way  that  I  go,  and  will  give  me  bread  to  eat, 
and  raiment  to  put  on,  so  that  I  come  again  to  my  father's 
house  in  peace,  then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God,  and  this 
stone,  which  I  have  set  up  for  a  pillar,  shall  be  God's 
house :  and  of  all  that  thou  shalt  give  me  I  will  surely 
give  the  tenth  unto  thee. 


IX 

Joseph  and  his  Brethren 

Joseph  and  his  Brethren  in  Canaan 

Joseph,  being  seventeen  years  old,  was  feeding  the  flock 
with  his  brethren ;  and  Joseph  brought  the  evil  report  of 
them  unto  their  father.  Now  Israel  loved  Joseph  more 
than  all  his  children,  because  he  was  the  son  of  his  old 
age :  and  he  made  him  a  coat  of  many  colours.  And  his 
brethren  saw  that  their  father  loved  him  more  than  all  his 
brethren  ;  and  they  hated  him,  and  could  not  speak  peace- 
ably unto  him.  And  Joseph  dreamed  a  dream,  and  he 
told  it  to  his  brethren :  and  they  hated  him  yet  the  more. 
And  he  said  unto  them,  Hear,  I  pray  you,  this  dream  which 


Joseph  ^  Bible    Stories 

I  have  dreamed  :  for,  behold,  we  were  binding  sheaves  in 
the  field,  and,  lo,  my  sheaf  arose,  and  also  stood  upright ; 
and,  behold,  your  sheaves  came  round  about,  and  made 
obeisance  to  my  sheaf.  And  his  brethren  said  to  him, 
Shalt  thou  indeed  reign  over  us?  or  shalt  thou  indeed 
have  dominion  over  us?  And  they  hated  him  yet  the 
more  for  his  dreams,  and  for  his  words.  And  he  dreamed 
yet  another  dream,  and  told  it  to  his  brethren,  and  said, 
Behold,  I  have  dreamed  yet  a  dream ;  and,  behold,  the 
sun  and  the  moon  and  eleven  stars  made  obeisance  to  me. 
And  he  told  it  to  his  father,  and  to  his  brethren  ;  and  his 
father  rebuked  him,  and  said  unto  him.  What  is  this  dream 
that  thou  hast  dreamed?  Shall  I  and  thy  mother  and  thy 
brethren  indeed  come  to  bow  down  ourselves  to  thee  to 
the  earthy?  And  his  brethren  envied  him ;  but  his  father 
kept  the  saying  in  mind. 

And  his  brethren  went  to  feed  their  father's  flock  in  She- 
chem.  And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph,  Do  not  thy  brethren 
feed  the  flock  in  Shechem?  come,  and  I  will  send  thee  unto 
them.  And  he  said  to  him,  Here  am  I.  And  he  said  to 
him.  Go  now,  see  whether  it  be  well  with  thy  brethren, 
and  well  with  the  flock ;  and  bring  me  word  again.  So  he 
sent  him  out  of  the  vale  of  Hebron,  and  he  came  to  She- 
chem. And  a  certain  man  found  him,  and,  behold,  he 
was  wandering  in  a  field :  and  the  man  asked  him,  say- 
ing. What  seekest  thou  ?  And  he  said,  I  seek  my  brethren  : 
tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  where  they  are  feeding  the  flock. 
36 


Genesis  Q^  Joseph 

And  the  man  said,  They  are  departed  hence :  for  I  heard 
them  say,  Let  us  go  to  Dothan.  And  Joseph  went  after 
his  brethren,  and  found  them  in  Dothan.  And  they  saw 
him  afar  off,  and  before  he  came  near  unto  them,  they 
conspired  against  him  to  slay  him.  And  they  said  one  to 
another,  Behold,  this  dreamer  cometh.  Come  now  there- 
fore, and  let  us  slay  him,  and  cast  him  into  one  of  the  pits, 
and  we  will  say.  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him :  and 
we  shall  see  what  will  become  of  his  dreams.  And  Reuben 
said  unto  them,  Shed  no  blood ;  cast  him  into  this  pit  that 
is  in  the  wilderness,  but  lay  no  hand  upon  him:  that  he 
might  deliver  him  out  of  their  hand,  to  restore  him  to  his 
father.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Joseph  was  come  unto 
his  brethren,  that  they  stript  Joseph  of  his  coat,  the  coat 
of  many  colours  that  was  on  him ;  and  they  took  him,  and 
cast  him  into  the  pit :  and  the  pit  was  empty,  there  was 
no  water  in  it.  And  they  sat  down  to  eat  bread  :  and  they 
lifted  up  their  eyes  and  looked,  and,  behold,  a  travelling 
company  of  Ishmaelites  came  from  Gilead,  with  their 
camels  bearing  spicery  and  balm  and  myrrh,  going  to  carry 
it  down  to  Egypt.  And  Judah  said  unto  his  brethren, 
What  profit  is  it  if  we  slay  our  brother  and  conceal  his 
blood?  Come,  and  let  us  sell  him  to  the  Ishmaelites,  and 
let  not  our  hand  be  upon  him  ;  for  he  is  our  brother,  our 
flesh.  And  his  brethren  hearkened  unto  him ;  and  they 
drew  and  lifted  up  Joseph  out  of  the  pit,  and  sold  Joseph 
to  the  Ishmaelites  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver.  And  they 
37 

1  53  4, 


Joseph  ^  Bible    Stories 

brought  Joseph  into  Egypt.  And  Reuben  returned  unto 
the  pit;  and,  behold,  Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit;  and  he 
rent  his  clothes.  And  he  returned  unto  his  brethren,  and 
said,  The  child  is  not ;  and  I,  whither  shall  I  go  ?  And 
they  took  Joseph's  coat,  and  killed  a  he-goat,  and  dipped 
the  coat  in  the  blood ;  and  they  sent  the  coat  of  many 
colours,  and  they  brought  it  to  their  father ;  and  said.  This 
have  we  found :  know  now  whether  it  be  thy  son's  coat  or 
not.  And  he  knew  it,  and  said,  It  is  my  son's  coat ;  an 
evil  beast  hath  devoured  him  ;  Joseph  is  without  doubt  torn 
in  pieces.  And  Jacob  rent  his  garments,  and  put  sackcloth 
upon  his  loins,  and  mourned  for  his  son  many  days.  And 
all  his  sons  and  all  his  daughters  rose  up  to  comfort  him ; 
but  he  refused  to  be  comforted  ;  and  he  said,  For  I  will  go 
down  to  the  grave  to  my  son  mourning. 

Joseph  as  a  Slave  in  Egypt 

And  Joseph  was  brought  down  to  Egypt ;  and  Potiphar, 
an  officer  of  Pharaoh's,  the  captain  of  the  guard,  an  Egyp- 
tian, bought  him  of  the  hand  of  the  Ishmaelites,  which 
had  brought  him  down  thither.  And  the  Lord  was  with 
Joseph  and  he  was  a  prosperous  man ;  and  he  was  in  the 
house  of  his  master  the  Egyptian.  And  his  master  saw 
that  the  Lord  was  with  him,  and  that  the  Lord  made  all 
that  he  did  to  prosper  in  his  hand.  And  Joseph  found 
grace  in  his  sight,  and  he  ministered  unto  him :  and  he 
38 


Genesis  ^  Joseph 

made  him  overseer  over  his  house,  and  all  that  he  had  he 
put  into  his  hand.  And  it  came  to  pass  from  the  time  that 
he  made  him  overseer  in  his  house,  and  over  all  that  he 
had,  that  the  Lord  blessed  the  Egyptian's  house  for 
Joseph's  sake ;  and  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  was  upon 
all  that  he  had,  in  the  house  and  in  the  field.  And  he  left 
all  that  he  had  in  Joseph's  hand  ;  and  he  knew  not  aught 
that  was  with  him,  save  the  bread  which  he  did  eat. 

And  Joseph  was  comely  and  well  favoured.  And  it 
came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  his  master's  wife  cast 
her  eyes  upon  Joseph ;  and  as  she  spake  to  Joseph  day 
by  day,  he  hearkened  not  unto  her.  And  it  came  to 
pass  about  this  time,  that  he  went  into  the  house  to  do 
his  work ;  and  there  was  none  of  the  men  of  the  house 
there  within.  And  she  caught  him  by  his  garment :  and 
he  left  his  garment  in  her  hand,  and  fled,  and  got  him 
out.  And  she  laid  up  his  garment  by  her,  until  his  master 
came  home.  And  she  spake  unto  him  according  to  these 
words,  saying.  The  Hebrew  servant,  which  thou  hast 
brought  unto  us,  came  in  unto  me  to  mock  me :  and  it 
came  to  pass,  as  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and  cried,  that  he 
left  his  garment  by  me,  and  fled  out.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  his  master  heard  the  words  of  his  wife,  which 
she  spake  unto  him,  saying,  After  this  manner  did  thy 
servant  to  me  ;  that  his  wrath  was  kindled.  And  Joseph's 
master  took  him,  and  put  him  into  the  prison,  the  place 
where  the  king's  prisoners  were  bound :  and  he  was  there 
39 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

in  the  prison.  But  the  Lord  was  with  Joseph,  and  shewed 
kindness  unto  him,  and  gave  him  favour  in  the  sight  of  the 
keeper  of  the  prison.  And  the  keeper  of  the  prison  com- 
mitted to  Joseph's  hand  all  the  prisoners  that  were  in  the 
prison ;  and  whatsoever  they  did  there,  he  was  the  doer  of 
it.  The  keeper  of  the  prison  looked  not  to  any  thing  that 
was  under  his  hand,  because  the  Lord  was  with  him ;  and 
that  which  he  did,  the  Lord  made  it  to  prosper. 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  the  butler 
of  the  king  of  Egypt  and  his  baker  offended  their  lord  the 
king  of  Egypt.  And  Pharaoh  was  wroth  against  his  two 
officers,  against  the  chief  of  the  butlers,  and  against  the 
chief  of  the  bakers.  And  he  put  them  in  ward  in  the 
house  of  the  captain  of  the  guard,  into  the  prison,  the  place 
where  Joseph  was  bound.  And  the  captain  of  the  guard 
charged  Joseph  with  them,  and  he  ministered  unto  them : 
and  they  continued  a  season  in  ward.  And  they  dreamed 
a  dream  both  of  them,  each  man  his  dream,  in  one  night, 
each  man  according  to  the  interpretation  of  his  dream,  the 
butler  and  the  baker  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  which  were 
bound  in  the  prison.  And  Joseph  came  in  unto  them 
in  the  morning,  and  saw  them,  and,  behold,  they  were 
sad.  And  he  asked  Pharaoh's  officers  that  were  with 
him  in  ward  in  his  master's  house,  saying.  Wherefore 
look  ye  so  sadly  today?  And  they  said  unto  him.  We 
have  dreamed  a  dream,  and  there  is  none  that  can  in- 
terpret it.  And  Joseph  said  unto  them.  Do  not  inter- 
40 


Genesis  S«-  Joseph 

pretations  belong  to  God?  tell  it  me,  I  pray  you.  And 
the  chief  butler  told  his  dream  to  Joseph,  and  said  to  him, 
In  my  dream,  behold,  a  vine  was  before  me ;  and  in  the 
vine  were  three  branches  :  and  it  was  as  though  it  budded, 
and  its  blossoms  shot  forth ;  and  the  clusters  thereof 
brought  forth  ripe  grapes :  and  Pharaoh's  cup  was  in  my 
hand;  and  I  took  the  grapes,  and  pressed  them  into 
Pharaoh's  cup,  and  I  gave  the  cup  into  Pharaoh's  hand. 
And  Joseph  said  unto  him,  This  is  the  interpretation  of  it : 
the  three  branches  are  three  days  ;  within  yet  three  days 
shall  Pharaoh  lift  up  thine  head,  and  restore  thee  unto 
thine  office :  and  thou  shalt  give  Pharaoh's  cup  into  his 
hand,  after  the  former  manner  when  thou  wast  his  butler. 
But  have  me  in  thy  remembrance  when  it  shall  be  well 
with  thee,  and  shew  kindness,  I  pray  thee,  unto  me,  and 
make  mention  of  me  unto  Pharaoh,  and  bring  me  out  of 
this  house :  for  indeed  I  was  stolen  away  out  of  the  land 
of  the  Hebrews :  and  here  also  have  I  done  nothing  that 
they  should  put  me  into  the  dungeon.  When  the  chief 
baker  saw  that  the  interpretation  was  good,  he  said  unto 
Joseph,  I  also  was  in  my  dream,  and,  behold,  three  baskets 
of  white  bread  were  on  my  head:  and  in  the  uppermost 
basket  there  was  of  all  manner  of  bakemeats  for  Pharaoh  ; 
and  the  birds  did  eat  them  out  of  the  basket  upon  my 
head.  And  Joseph  answered  and  said,  This  is  the  inter- 
pretation thereof:  the  three  baskets  are  three  days  ;  within 
yet  three  days  shall  Pharaoh  lift  up  thy  head  from  off  thee, 
41 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

and  shall  hang  thee  on  a  tree ;  and  the  birds  shall  eat  thy 
flesh  from  off  thee.  And  it  came  to  pass  the  third  day, 
which  was  Pharaoh's  birthday,  that  he  made  a  feast  unto 
all  his  servants  :  and  he  lifted  up  the  head  of  the  chief 
butler  and  the  head  of  the  chief  baker  among  his  servants. 
And  he  restored  the  chief  butler  unto  his  butlership  again  ; 
and  he  gave  the  cup  into  Pharaoh's  hand :  but  he  hanged 
the  chief  baker:  as  Joseph  had  interpreted  to  them.  Yet 
did  not  the  chief  butler  remember  Joseph,  but  forgat  him. 

How  hi  one  day  Joseph  passed  from  a  Slave  to  a  Prime 
Minister 

And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  two  full  years,  that 
Pharaoh  dreamed :  and,  behold,  he  stood  by  the  river. 
And,  behold,  there  came  up  out  of  the  river  seven  kine, 
well  favoured  and  fatfleshed ;  and  they  fed  in  the  reed- 
grass.  And,  behold,  seven  other  kine  came  up  after  them 
out  of  the  river,  ill  favoured  and  leanfleshed ;  and  stood 
by  the  other  kine  upon  the  brink  of  the  river.  And  the 
ill  favoured  and  leanfleshed  kine  did  eat  up  the  seven  well 
favoured  and  fat  kine.  So  Pharaoh  awoke.  And  he  slept 
and  dreamed  a  second  time :  and,  behold,  seven  ears  of 
corn  came  up  upon  one  stalk,  rank  and  good.  And,  behold, 
seven  ears,  thin  and  blasted  with  the  east  wind,  sprung  up 
after  them.  And  the  thin  ears  swallowed  up  the  seven 
rank  and  full  ears.  And  Pharaoh  awoke,  and,  behold,  it 
42 


Genesis  Q^  Joseph 

was  a  dream.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning  that 
his  spirit  was  troubled ;  and  he  sent  and  called  for  all  the 
magicians  of  Egypt,  and  all  the  wise  men  thereof:  and 
Pharaoh  told  them  his  dream ;  but  there  was  none  that 
could  interpret  them  unto  Pharaoh.  Then  spake  the  chief 
butler  unto  Pharaoh,  saying,  I  do  remember  my  faults  this 
day :  Pharaoh  was  wroth  with  his  servants,  and  put  me  in 
ward  in  the  house  of  the  captain  of  the  guard,  me  and  the 
chief  baker :  and  we  dreamed  a  dream  in  one  night,  I  and 
he ;  we  dreamed  each  man  according  to  the  interpretation 
of  his  dream.  And  there  was  with  us  there  a  young  man, 
an  Hebrew,  sei-vant  to  the  captain  of  the  guard ;  and  we 
told  him,  and  he  interpreted  to  us  our  dreams ;  to  each 
man  according  to  his  dream  he  did  interpret.  And  it 
cam.e  to  pass,  as  he  interpreted  to  us,  so  it  was ;  me  he 
restored  unto  mine  office,  and  him  he  hanged. 

Then  Pharaoh  sent  and  called  Joseph,  and  they  brought 
him  hastily  out  of  the  dungeon :  and  he  shaved  himself, 
and  changed  his  raiment,  and  came  in  unto  Pharaoh. 
And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  I  have  dreamed  a  dream, 
and  there  is  none  that  can  interpret  it :  and  I  have  heard 
say  of  thee,  that  when  thou  hearest  a  dream  thou  canst 
interpret  it.  And  Joseph  answered  Pharaoh,  saying,  It  is 
not  in  me :  God  shall  give  Pharaoh  an  answer  of  peace. 
And  Pharaoh  spake  unto  Joseph,  In  my  dream,  behold,  I 
stood  upon  the  brink  of  the  river :  and,  behold,  there  came 
up  out  of  the  river  seven  kine,  fatfleshed  and  well  favoured ; 
43 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

and  they  fed  in  the  reed-grass :  and,  behold,  seven  other 
kine  came  up  after  them,  poor  and  very  ill  favoured  and 
leanfleshed,  such  as  I  never  saw  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt 
for  badness :  and  the  lean  and  ill  favoured  kine  did  eat  up 
the  first  seven  fat  kine  :  and  when  they  had  eaten  them  up, 
it  could  not  be  known  that  they  had  eaten  them  ;  but  they 
were  still  ill  favoured,  as  at  the  beginning.  So  I  awoke. 
And  I  saw  in  my  dream,  and,  behold,  seven  ears  came  up 
upon  one  stalk,  full  and  good :  and,  behold,  seven  ears, 
withered,  thin,  and  blasted  with  the  east  wind,  sprung  up 
after  them :  and  the  thin  ears  swallowed  up  the  seven 
good  ears :  and  I  told  it  unto  the  magicians  ;  but  there 
was  none  that  could  declare  it  to  me.  And  Joseph  said 
unto  Pharaoh,  The  dream  of  Pharaoh  is  one :  what  God 
is  about  to  do  he  hath  declared  unto  Pharaoh.  The  seven 
good  kine  are  seven  years  ;  and  the  seven  good  ears  are 
seven  years :  the  dream  is  one.  And  the  seven  lean 
and  ill  favoured  kine  that  came  up  after  them  are  seven 
years,  and  also  the  seven  empty  ears  blasted  with  the  east 
wind ;  they  shall  be  seven  years  of  famine.  That  is  the 
thing  which  I  spake  unto  Pharaoh :  what  God  is  about 
to  do  he  hath  shewed  unto  Pharaoh.  Behold,  there 
come  seven  years  of  great  plenty  throughout  all  the  land 
of  Egypt :  and  there  shall  arise  after  them  seven  years  of 
famine  ;  and  all  the  plenty  shall  be  forgotten  in  the  land  of 
Egypt ;  and  the  famine  shall  consume  the  land ;  and  the 
plenty  shall  not  be  known  in  the  land  by  reason  of  that 
44 


Genesis  ^  Joseph 

famine  which  followeth ;  for  it  shall  be  very  grievous. 
And  for  that  the  dream  was  doubled  unto  Pharaoh  twice, 
it  is  because  the  thing  is  established  by  God,  and  God  will 
shortly  bring  it  to  pass.  Now  therefore  let  Pharaoh  look 
out  a  man  discreet  and  wise,  and  set  him  over  the  land  of 
Egypt.  Let  Pharaoh  do  this,  and  let  him  appoint  over- 
seers over  the  land,  and  take  up  the  fifth  part  of  the  land  of 
Egypt  in  the  seven  plenteous  years.  And  let  them  gather 
all  the  food  of  these  good  years  that  come,  and  lay  up  corn 
under  the  hand  of  Pharaoh  for  food  in  the  cities,  and  let 
them  keep  it.  And  the  food  shall  be  for  a  store  to  the  land 
against  the  seven  years  of  famine,  which  shall  be  in  the 
land  of  Egypt ;  that  the  land  perish  not  through  the  famine. 
And  the  thing  was  good  in  the  eyes  of  Pharaoh,  and  in 
the  eyes  of  all  his  servants.  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  his 
servants,  Can  we  find  such  a  one  as  this,  a  man  in  whom 
the  spirit  of  God  is  ?  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  For- 
asmuch as  God  hath  shewed  thee  all  this,  there  is  none  so 
discreet  and  wise  as  thou :  thou  shalt  be  over  my  house, 
and  according  unto  thy  word  shall  all  my  people  be  ruled : 
only  in  the  throne  will  I  be  greater  than  thou.  And  Pha- 
raoh took  off  his  signet  ring  from  his  hand,  and  put  it  upon 
Joseph's  hand,  and  arrayed  him  in  vestures  of  fine  linen, 
and  put  a  gold  chain  about  his  neck ;  and  he  made  him  to 
ride  in  the  second  chariot  which  he  had ;  and  they  cried 
before  him,  Bow  the  knee :  and  he  set  him  over  all  the 
land  of  Egypt. 

45 


Joseph  ^  Bible    Stories 

Joseph  and  his  Brethren   in  Egypt 

And  the  seven  years  of  plenty,  that  was  in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  came  to  an  end.  And  the  seven  years  of  famine 
began  to  come,  according  as  Joseph  had  said :  and  there 
was  famine  in  all  lands  ;  but  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  there 
was  bread.  And  all  countries  came  into  Egypt  to  Joseph 
for  to  buy  corn ;  because  the  famine  was  sore  in  all  the 
earth. 

Now  Jacob  saw  that  there  was  corn  in  Egypt,  and  Jacob 
said  unto  his  sons.  Why  do  ye  look  one  upon  another? 
And  he  said,  Behold,  I  have  heard  that  there  is  corn  in 
Egypt :  get  you  down  thither,  and  buy  for  us  from  thence  ; 
that  we  may  live,  and  not  die.  And  Joseph's  ten  brethren 
went  down  to  buy  corn  from  Egypt.  But  Benjamin, 
Joseph's  brother,  Jacob  sent  not  with  his  brethren;  for 
he  said.  Lest  peradventure  mischief  befall  him.  And  the 
sons  of  Israel  came  to  buy  among  those  that  came ;  for 
the  famine  was  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  And  Joseph  was 
the  governor  over  the  land ;  he  it  was  that  sold  to  all  the 
people  of  the  land :  and  Joseph's  brethren  came,  and 
bowed  down  themselves  to  him  with  their  faces  to  the 
earth.  And  Joseph  saw  his  brethren,  and  he  knew  them, 
but  made  himself  strange  unto  them,  and  spake  roughly 
with  them;  and  he  said  unto  them.  Whence  come  ye? 
And  they  said.  From  the  land  of  Canaan  to  buy  food. 
And  Joseph  knew  his  brethren,  but  they  knew  not 
46 


Genesis  S^  Joseph 

him.  And  Joseph  remembered  the  dreams  which  he 
dreamed  of  them,  and  said  unto  them,  Ye  are  spies  ;  to 
see  the  nakedness  of  the  land  ye  are  come.  And  they 
said  unto  him,  Nay,  my  lord,  but  to  buy  food  are  thy  ser- 
vants come.  We  are  all  one  man's  sons ;  we  are  true 
men,  thy  servants  are  no  spies.  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Nay,  but  to  see  the  nakedness  of  the  land  ye  are  come. 
And  they  said,  We  thy  servants  are  twelve  brethren,  the 
sons  of  one  man  in  the  land  of  Canaan ;  and,  behold,  the 
youngest  is  this  day  with  our  father,  and  one  is  not.  And 
Joseph  said  unto  them,  That  is  it  that  I  spake  unto  you, 
saying.  Ye  are  spies :  hereby  ye  shall  be  proved :  by  the 
life  of  Pharaoh  ye  shall  not  go  forth  hence,  except  your 
youngest  brother  come  hither.  Send  one  of  you,  and  let 
him  fetch  your  brother,  and  ye  shall  be  bound,  that  your 
words  may  be  proved,  whether  there  be  truth  in  you :  or 
else  by  the  life  of  Pharaoh  surely  ye  are  spies.  And  he 
put  them  all  together  into  ward  three  days. 

And  Joseph  said  unto  them  the  third  day.  This  do,  and 
live ;  for  I  •  fear  God :  if  ye  be  true  men,  let  one  of  your 
brethren  be  bound  in  your  prison  house  ;  but  go  ye,  carry 
corn  for  the  famine  of  your  houses  :  and  bring  your  young- 
est brother  unto  me ;  so  shall  your  words  be  verified,  and 
ye  shall  not  die.  And  they  did  so.  And  they  said  one  to 
another,  We  are  verily  guilty  concerning  our  brother,  in 
that  we  saw  the  distress  of  his  soul,  when  he  besought  us, 
and  we  would  not  hear;  therefore  is  this  distress  come 
47 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

upon  us.  And  Reuben  answered  them,  saying,  Spake  I 
not  unto  you,  saying,  Do  not  sin  against  the  child  ;  and  ye 
would  not  hear?  therefore  also,  behold,  his  blood  is  re- 
quired. And  they  knew  not  that  Joseph  understood  them  ; 
for  there  was  an  interpreter  between  them.  And  he  turned 
himself  about  from  them,  and  wept;  and  he  returned  to 
them,  and  spake  to  them,  and  took  Simeon  from  among 
them,  and  bound  him  before  their  eyes.  Then  Joseph  com- 
manded to  fill  their  vessels  with  corn,  and  to  restore  every 
man's  money  into  his  sack,  and  to  give  them  provision  for 
the  way :  and  thus  was  it  done  unto  them.  And  they  laded 
their  asses  with  their  corn,  and  departed  thence.  And  as 
one  of  them  opened  his  sack  to  give  his  ass  provender  in 
the  lodging  place,  he  espied  his  money  ;  and,  behold,  it  was 
in  the  mouth  of  his  sack.  And  he  said  unto  his  brethren. 
My  money  is  restored  ;  and,  lo,  it  is  even  in  my  sack  :  and 
their  heart  failed  them,  and  they  turned  trembling  one  to 
another,  saying,  What  is  this  that  God  hath  done  unto  us? 
And  they  came  unto  Jacob  their  father  unto  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  told  him  all  that  had  befallen  them :  saying. 
The  man,  the  lord  of  the  land,  spake  roughly  with  us,  and 
took  us  for  spies  of  the  country.  And  we  said  unto  him, 
We  are  tme  men  ;  we  are  no  spies  :  we  be  twelve  brethren, 
sons  of  our  father ;  one  is  not,  and  the  youngest  is  this 
day  with  our  father  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  And  the  man, 
the  lord  of  the  land,  said  unto  us.  Hereby  shall  I  know 
that  ye  are  true  men ;  leave  one  of  your  brethren  with  me 
48 


Genesis  B^  Joseph 

and  take  corn  for  the  famine  of  your  houses,  and  go  your 
way :  and  bring  your  youngest  brother  unto  me :  then 
shall  I  know  that  ye  are  no  spies,  but  that  ye  are  true  men  : 
so  will  I  deliver  you  your  brother,  and  ye  shall  traffick  in 
the  land.  And  it  came  to  pass  as  they  emptied  their  sacks, 
that,  behold,  every  man's  bundle  of  money  was  in  his  sack  : 
and  when  they  and  their  father  saw  their  bundles  of  money, 
they  were  afraid.  And  Jacob  their  father  said  unto  them. 
Me  have  ye  bereaved  of  my  children :  Joseph  is  not,  and 
Simeon  is  not,  and  ye  will  take  Benjamin  away :  all  these 
things  are  against  me.  And  Reuben  spake  unto  his 
father,  saying.  Slay  my  two  sons,  if  I  bring  him  not  to 
thee :  deliver  him  into  my  hand,  and  I  will  bring  him  to 
thee  again.  And  he  said,  My  son  shall  not  go  down  with 
you ;  for  his  brother  is  dead,  and  he  only  is  left :  if  mis- 
chief befall  him  by  the  way  in  the  which  ye  go,  then  shall 
ye  bring  down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave.  • 
And  the  famine  was  sore  in  the  land.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  they  had  eaten  up  the  corn  which  they  had 
brought  out  of  Egypt,  their  father  said  unto  them,  Go 
again,  buy  us  a  little  food.  And  Judah  spake  unto  him, 
saying,  The  man  did  solemnly  protest  unto  us,  saying.  Ye 
shall  not  see  my  face,  except  your  brother  be  with  you.  If 
thou  wilt  send  our  brother  with  us,  we  will  go  down  and 
buy  thee  food :  but  if  thou  wilt  not  send  him,  we  will  not 
go  down :  for  the  man  said  unto  us.  Ye  shall  not  see  my 
face,  except  your  brother  be  with  you.  And  Israel  said, 
E  49 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

Wherefore  dealt  ye  so  ill  with  me,  as  to  tell  the  man 
whether  ye  had  yet  a  brother?  And  they  said,  The  man 
asked  straitly  concerning  ourselves,  and  concerning  our 
kindred,  saying,  Is  your  father  yet  alive?  have  ye  another 
brother?  and  we  told  him  according  to  the  tenor  of  these 
words :  could  we  in  any  wise  know  that  he  would  say. 
Bring  your  brother  down?  And  Judah  said  unto  Israel 
his  father,  Send  the  lad  with  me,  and  we  will  arise  and  go  ; 
that  we  may  live,  and  not  die,  both  we,  and  thou,  and  also 
our  little  ones.  I  will  be  surety  for  him  ;  of  my  hand  shalt 
thou  require  him  :  if  I  bring  him  not  unto  thee,  and  set 
him  before  thee,  then  let  me  bear  the  blame  for  ever :  for 
except  we  had  lingered,  surely  we  had  now  returned  a 
second  time.  And  their  father  Israel  said  unto  them,  If  it 
be  so  now,  do  this  ;  take  of  the  choice  fruits  of  the  land  in 
your  vessels,  and  carry  down  the  man  a  present,  a  little 
•balm,  and  a  little  honey,  spicery  and  myrrh,  nuts,  and 
almonds  :  and  take  double  money  in  your  hand ;  and  the 
money  that  was  returned  in  the  mouth  of  your  sacks  carry 
again  in  your  hand ;  perad venture  it  w^as  an  oversight : 
take  also  your  brother,  and  arise,  go  again  unto  the  man  : 
and  God  Almighty  give  you  mercy  before  the  man,  that 
he  may  release  unto  you  your  other  brother  and  Benjamin. 
And  if  I  be  bereaved  of  my  children,  I  am  bereaved. 

And  the  men  took  that  present,  and  they  took  double 
money  in  their  hand,  and  Benjamin ;  and  rose  up,  and 
went  down  to  Egypt,  and  stood  before  Joseph.     And  when 
50 


Genesis  8«-  ^  Joseph 

Joseph  saw  Benjamin  with  them,  he  said  to  the  steward  of 
his  house,  Bring  the  men  into  the  house,  and  slay,  and 
make  ready;  for  the  men  shall  dine  with  me  at  noon. 
And  the  man  did  as  Joseph  bade ;  and  the  man  brought 
the  men  into  Joseph's  house.  And  the  men  were  afraid, 
because  they  were  brought  into  Joseph's  house  ;  and  they 
said,  Because  of  the  money  that  was  returned  in  our  sacks 
at  the  first  time  are  we  brought  in;  that  he  may  seek 
occasion  against  us,  and  fall  upon  us,  and  take  us  for 
bondmen,  and  our  asses.  And  they  came  near  to  the 
steward  of  Joseph's  house,  and  they  spake  unto  him  at  the 
door  of  the  house,  and  said.  Oh  my  lord,  we  came  indeed 
down  at  the  first  time  to  buy  food :  and  it  came  to  pass, 
when  we  came  to  the  lodging  place,  that  we  opened  our 
sacks,  and,  behold,  every  man's  money  was  in  the  mouth 
of  his  sack,  our  money  in  full  weight :  and  we  have  brought 
it  again  in  our  hand.  And  other  money  have  we  brought 
down  in  our  hand  to  buy  food  :  we  know  not  who  put  our 
money  in  our  sacks.  And  he  said.  Peace  be  to  you,  fear 
not :  your  God,  and  the  God  of  your  father,  hath  given 
you  treasure  in  your  sacks :  I  had  your  money.  And  he 
brought  Simeon  out  unto  them.  And  the  man  brought 
the  men  into  Joseph's  house,  and  gave  them  water,  and 
they  washed  their  feet ;  and  he  gave  their  asses  provender. 
And  they  made  ready  the  present  against  Joseph  game 
at  noon :  for  they  heard  that  they  should  eat  bread  there. 
And  when  Joseph  came  home,  they  brought  him  the  pres- 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

ent  which  was  in  their  hand  into  the  house,  and  bowed 
down  themselves  to  him  to  the  earth.  And  he  asked  them 
of  their  welfare,  and  said.  Is  your  father  well,  the  old  man 
of  whom  ye  spake?  Is  he  yet  alive?  And  they  said.  Thy 
servant  our  father  is  well,  he  is  yet  aHve.  And  they  bowed 
the  head,  and  made  obeisance.  And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes, 
and  saw  Benjamin  his  brother,  his  mother's  son,  and  said, 
Is  this  your  youngest  brother,  of  whom  ye  spake  unto  me? 
And  he  said,  God  be  gracious  unto  thee,  my  son.  And 
Joseph  made  haste ;  and  he  sought  where  to  v/eep ;  and 
he  entered  into  his  chamber,  and  wept  there.  And  he 
washed  his  face,  and  came  out ;  and  he  refrained  himself, 
and  said,  Set  on  bread.  And  they  set  on  for  him  by  him- 
self, and  for  them  by  themselves,  and  for  the  Egyptians, 
which  did  eat  with  him,  by  themselves :  because  the 
Egyptians  might  not  eat  bread  with  the  Hebrews;  for  that 
is  an  abomination  unto  the  Egyptians.  And  they  sat  be- 
fore him,  the  firstborn  according  to  his  birthright,  and  the 
youngest  according  to  his  youth  :  and  the  men  marvelled 
one  with  another.  And  he  took  and  sent  messes  unto 
them  from  before  him :  but  Benjamin's  mess  was  five 
times  so  much  as  any  of  theirs.  And  they  drank  and  were 
merry  with  him. 

And  he  commanded  the  steward  of  his  house,  saying. 

Fill  the  men's  sacks  with  food,  as  much  as  they  can  carry, 

and  put  every  man's  money  in  his  sack's  mouth.     And  put 

my  cup,  the  silver  cup,  in  the  sack's  mouth  of  the  young- 

52 


Genesis  8«^  Joseph 

est,  and  his  corn  money.  And  he  did  according  to  the 
word  that  Joseph  had  spoken.  As  soon  as  the  morning 
was  light,  the  men  were  sent  away,  they  and  their  asses. 
And  when  they  were  gone  out  of  the  city,  and  were  not 
yet  far  off,  Joseph  said  unto  his  steward,  Up,  follow  after 
the  men ;  and  when  thou  dost  overtake  them,  say  unto 
them.  Wherefore  have  ye  rewarded  evil  for  good  ?  Is  not 
this  it  in  which  my  lord  drinketh,  and  whereby  he  indeed 
divineth  ?  ye  have  done  evil  in  so  doing.  And  he  over- 
took them,  and  he  spake  unto  them  these  words.  And 
they  said  unto  him,  Wherefore  speaketh  my  lord  such 
words  as  these?  God  forbid  that  thy  servants  should  do 
such  a  thing.  Behold,  the  money,  which  we  found  in  our 
sacks'  mouths,  we  brought  again  unto  thee  out  of  the  land 
of  Canaan :  how  then  should  we  steal  out  of  thy  lord's 
house  silver  or  gold?  With  whomsoever  of  thy  servants 
it  be  found,  let  him  die,  and  we  also  will  be  my  lord's  bond- 
men. And  he  said.  Now  also  let  it  be  according  unto 
your  words  :  he  with  whom':  it  is  found  shall  be  my  bond- 
man ;  and  ye  shall  be  blameless.  Then  they  hasted,  and 
took  down  every  man  his  sack  to  the  ground,  and  opened 
every  man  his  sack.  And  he  searched,  and  began  at  the 
eldest,  and  left  at  the  youngest :  and  the  cup  was  found  in 
Benjamin's  sack.  Then  they  rent  their  clothes,  and  laded 
every  man  his  ass,  and  returned  to  the  city. 
7  And  Judah  and  his  brethren  came  to  Joseph's  house ; 
and  he  was  yet  there :  and  they  fell  before  him  on  the 
53 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

ground.  And  Joseph  said  unto  them,  What  deed  is  this 
that  ye  have  done?  know  ye  not  that  such  a  man  as  I  can 
indeed  divine?  And  Judah  said,  What  shall  we  say  unto 
my  lord?  what  shall  we  speak?  or  how  shall  we  clear  our- 
selves? God  hath  found  out  the  iniquity  of  thy  servants : 
behold,  we  are  my  lord's  bondmen,  both  we,  and  he  also  in 
whose  hand  the  cup  is  found.  And  he  said,  God  forbid 
that  I  should  do  so :  the  man  in  whose  hand  the  cup  is 
found,  he  shall  be  my  bondman ;  but  as  for  you,  get  you  up 
in  peace  unto  your  father. 

Then  Judah  came  near  unto  him,  and  said,  Oh  my  lord, 
let  thy  ser\-ant,  I  pray  thee,  speak  a  w^ord  in  my  lord's  ears, 
and  let  not  thine  anger  burn  against  thy  servant :  for  thou 
art  even  as  Pharaoh.  My  lord  asked  his  servants,  saying. 
Have  ye  a  father,  or  a  brother?  And  we  said  unto  my 
lord.  We  have  a  father,  an  old  man,  and  a  child  of  his  old 
age,  a  little  one ;  and  his  brother  is  dead,  and  he  alone  is 
left  of  his  mother,  and  his  father  loveth  him.  And  thou 
saidst  unto  thy  servants,  Bring  him  down  unto  me,  that  I 
may  set  mine  eyes  upon  him.  And  we  said  unto  my  lord, 
The  lad  cannot  leave  his  father :  for  if  he  should  leave  his 
father,  his  father  would  die.  And  thou  saidst  unto  thy 
servants.  Except  your  youngest  brother  come  down  with 
you,  ye  shall  see  my  face  no  more.  And  it  came  to  pass 
when  w^e  came  up  unto  thy  servant  my  father,  we  told  him 
the  words  of  my  lord.  And  our  father  said,  Go  again,  buy 
us  a  little  food.  And  we  said.  We  cannot  go  down :  if  our 
54 


Genesis  8«-  Joseph 

youngest  brother  be  with  us,  then  will  we  go  down :  for  we 
may  not  see  the  man's  face,  except  our  youngest  brother 
be  with  us.  And  thy  servant  my  father  said  unto  us.  Ye 
know  that  my  wife  bare  me  two  sons :  and  the  one  went 
out  from  me,  and  I  said.  Surely  he  is  torn  in  pieces ;  and  I 
have  not  seen  him  since :  and  if  he  take  this  one  also  from 
me,  and  mischief  befall  him,  ye  shall  bring  down  my  gray 
hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave.  Now  therefore  when  I 
come  to  thy  servant  my  father,  and  the  lad  be  not  with  us  ; 
seeing  that  his  life  is  bound  up  in  the  lad's  life ;  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  when  he  seeth  that  the  lad  is  not  with  us, 
that  he  will  die :  and  thy  servants  shall  bring  down  the 
gray  hairs  of  thy  servant  our  father  with  sorrow  to  the 
grave.  For  thy  servant  became  surety  for  the  lad  unto 
my  father,  saying.  If  I  bring  him  not  unto  thee,  then  shall 
I  bear  the  blame  to  my  father  for  ever.  Now  therefore, 
let  thy  servant,  I  pray  thee,  abide  instead  of  the  lad  a 
bondman  to  my  lord ;  and  let  the  lad  go  up  with  his  breth- 
ren. For  how  shall  I  go  up  to  my  father,  and  the  lad  be 
not  with  me?  lest  I  see  the  evil  that  shall  come  on  my 
father. 

^  Then  Joseph  could  not  refrain  himself  before  all  them 
that  stood  by  him ;  and  he  cried.  Cause  every  man  to  go 
out  from  me.  And  there  stood  no  man  with  him,  while 
Joseph  made  himself  known  unto  his  brethren.  And  he 
wept  aloud :  and  the  Egyptians  heard,  and  the  house  of 
Pharaoh  heard. 

55 


Joseph  ^  Bible    Stories 

Joseph  ;  doth  my  father  yet  live?  And  his  brethren  could 
not  answer  him ;  for  they  were  troubled  at  his  presence. 
And  Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren,  Come  near  to  me,  I 
pray  you.  And  they  came  near.  And  he  said,  I  am 
Joseph  your  brother  whom  ye  sold  into  Egypt.  And  now 
be  not  grieved,  nor  angry  with  yourselves,  that  ye  sold  me 
hither:  for  God  did  send  me  before  you  to  preser\'e  life. 
For  these  two  years  hath  the  famine  been  in  the  land  :  and 
there  are  yet  five  years  in  the  which  there  shall  be  neither 
plowing  nor  harvest.  And  God  sent  me  before  you  to  pre- 
serve you  a  remnant  in  the  earth,  and  to  save  you  alive  by 
a  great  deliverance.  So  now  it  was  not  you  that  sent  me 
hither,  but  God  :  and  he  hath  made  me  a  father  to  Pharaoh, 
and  lord  of  all  his  house,  and  ruler  over  all  the  land  of 
Egypt.  Haste  ye,  and  go  up  to  my  father,  and  say  unto 
him,  Thus  saith  thy  son  Joseph,  God  hath  made  me  lord  of 
all  Egypt :  come  down  unto  me,  tarry  not :  and  thou  shalt 
dwell  in  the  land  of  Goshen,  and  thou  shalt  be  near  unto 
me,  thou,  and  thy  children,  and  thy  children's  children, 
and  thy  flocks,  and  thy  herds,  and  all  that  thou  hast :  and 
there  will  I  nourish  thee ;  for  there  are  yet  five  years  of 
famine  ;  lest  thou  come  to  poverty,  thou,  and  thy  household, 
and  all  that  thou  hast.  And,  behold,  your  eyes  see,  and 
the  eyes  of  my  brother  Benjamin,  that  it  is  my  mouth  that 
speaketh  unto  you.  And  ye  shall  tell  my  father  of  all  my 
glory  in  Egypt,  and  of  all  that  ye  have  seen ;  and  ye  shall 
haste  and  bring  down  my  father  hither.  And  he  fell  upon 
56 


Genesis  ^  Joseph 

his  brother  Benjamin's  neck,  and  wept ;  and  Benjamin 
wept  upon  his  neck.  And  he  kissed  all  his  brethren,  and 
wept  upon  them :  and  after  that  his  brethren  talked  with 
him. 

And  the  fame  thereof  was  heard  in  Pharaoh's  house,  say- 
ing, Joseph's  brethren  are  come :  and  it  pleased  Pharaoh 
well,  and  his  servants.  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph, 
Say  unto  thy  brethren.  This  do  ye ;  lade  your  beasts,  and 
go,  get  you  into  the  land  of  Canaan ;  and  take  your  father 
and  your  households,  and  come  unto  me  :  and  I  will  give 
you  the  good  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  ye  shall  eat  the  fat 
of  the  land.  Now  thou  art  commanded,  this  do  ye  ;  take 
you  wagons,  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  for  your  little  ones, 
and  for  your  wives,  and  bring  your  father,  and  come.  Also 
regard  not  your  stuff;  for  the  good  of  all  the  land  of  Egypt 
is  yours.  And  the  sons  of  Israel  did  so  :  and  Joseph  gave 
them  wagons  according  to  the  commandment  of  Pharaoh, 
and  gave  them  provision  for  the  way.  To  all  of  them  he 
gave  each  man  changes  of  raiment ;  but  to  Benjamin  he 
gave  three  hundred  pieces  of  silver,  and  five  changes  of 
raiment.  And  to  his  father  he  sent  after  this  manner ;  ten 
asses  laden  with  the  good  things  of  Egypt,  and  ten  she- 
asses,  laden  with  corn  and  bread  and  victual  for  his  father 
by  the  v/ay.  So  he  sent  his  brethren  away,  and  they  de- 
parted :  and  he  said  unto  them.  See  that  ye  fall  not  out  by 
the  way. 


57 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

Journey  of  the  Children  of  Israel  into  Egypt 

And  they  went  up  out  of  Egypt,  and  came  into  the  land 
of  Canaan  unto  Jacob  their  father.  And  they  told  him, 
saying,  Joseph  is  yet  alive,  and  he  is  ruler  over  all  the  land 
of  Egypt.  And  his  heart  fainted,  for  he  believed  them 
not.  And  they  told  him  all  the  words  of  Joseph,  which  he 
had  said  unto  them :  and  when  he  saw  the  wagons  which 
Joseph  had  sent  to  carry  him,  the  spirit  of  Jacob  their 
father  revived :  and  Israel  said,  It  is  enough  ;  Joseph  my 
son  is  yet  alive :  I  will  go  and  see  him  before  I  die. 

And  Israel  took  his  journey  with  all  that  he  had,  and 
came  to  Beer-sheba,  and  offered  sacrifices  unto  the  God 
of  his  father  Isaac.  And  God  spake  unto  Israel  in  the 
visions  of  the  night,  and  said,  Jacob,  Jacob.  And  he 
said.  Here  am  I.  And  he  said,  I  am  God,  the  God  of 
thy  father:  fear  not  to  go  down  into  Egypt;  for  I  will 
there  make  of  thee  a  great  nation :  I  will  go  down  with 
thee  into  Egypt ;  and  I  will  also  surely  bring  thee  up 
again :  and  Joseph  shall  put  his  hand  upon  thine  e3''es. 
And  Jacob  rose  up  from  Beer-sheba:  and  the  sons  of 
Israel  carried  Jacob  their  father,  and  their  little  ones, 
and  their  wives,  in  the  wagons  which  Pharaoh  had  sent 
to  carry  him.  And  they  took  their  cattle,  and  their  goods, 
which  they  had  gotten  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  came 
into  Egypt,  Jacob,  and  all  his  seed  with  him :'  his  sons, 
and  his  sons'  sons  with  him,  his  daughters,  and  his  sons' 
S8 


Genesis  B^  Joseph 

daughters,  and  all  his  seed  brought  he  with  him  into 
Egypt. 

And  he  sent  Judah  before  him  unto  Joseph,  to  shew 
the  way  before  him  unto  Goshen;  and  they  came  into 
the  land  of  Goshen.  And  Joseph  made  ready  his  chariot, 
and  went  up  to  meet  Israel  his  father,  to  Goshen ;  and  he 
presented  himself  unto  him,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  wept 
on  his  neck  a  good  while.  And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph, 
Now  let  me  die,  since  I  have  seen  thy  face,  that  thou  art 
yet  alive. 

Then  Joseph  went  in  and  told  Pharaoh,  and  said,  My 
father  and  my  brethren,  and  their  flocks,  and  their  herds, 
and  all  that  they  have,  are  come  out  of  the  land  of  Canaan ; 
and,  behold,  they  are  in  the  land  of  Goshen.  And  from 
among  his  brethren  he  took  five  men,  and  presented  them 
unto  Pharaoh.  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  his  brethren, 
What  is  your  occupation?  And  they  said  unto  Pharaoh, 
Thy  servants  are  shepherds,  both  we,  and  our  fathers. 
And  they  said  unto  Pharaoh,  To  sojourn  in  the  land  are 
we  come ;  for  there  is  no  pasture  for  thy  servants'  flocks ; 
for  the  famine  is  sore  in  the  land  of  Canaan :  now  there- 
fore, we  pray  thee,  let  thy  serv^ants  dwell  in  the  land  of 
Goshen.  And  Pharaoh  spake  unto  Joseph,  saying,  Thy 
father  and  thy  brethren  are  come  unto  thee :  the  land  of 
Egypt  is  before  thee ;  in  the  best  of  the  land  make  thy 
father  and  thy  brethren  to  dwell :  in  the  land  of  Goshen 
let  them  dwell :  and  if  thou  knowest  any  able  men  among 
59 


Joseph  -^  Bible    Stories 

them,  then  make  them  rulers  over  my  cattle.  And  Joseph 
brought  in  Jacob  his  father,  and  set  him  before  Pharaoh  : 
and  Jacob  blessed  Pharaoh.  And  Pharaoh  said  unto 
Jacob,  How  many  are  the  days  of  the  years  of  thy  Afe? 
And  Jacob  said  unto  Pharaoh,  The  days  of  the  years  of 
my  pilgrimage  are  an  hundred  and  thirty  years :  few  and 
evil  have  been  the  days  of  the  years  of  my  life,  and  they 
have  not  attained  unto  the  days  of  the  years  of  the  life  of 
my  fathers  in  the  days  of  their  pilgrimage.  And  Jacot 
blessed  Pharaoh,  and  went  out  from  the  presence  of 
Pharaoh.  And  Joseph  placed  his  father  and  his  brethren, 
and  gave  them  a  possession  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the 
best  of  the  land,  as  Pharaoh  had  commanded.  And 
Joseph  nourished  his  father,  and  his  brethren,  and  all  his 
father's  household,  with  bread,  according  to  their  families. 
60 


Genesis  S«^ 


Notes 


Notes  to  Genesis 


i.  This  story  of  the  Creation  differs  from  other  Bible  stories. 
It  reads  like  a  chant,  with  refrains  repeated,  one  at  the  begin- 
ning and  one  at  the  end  of  each  '  day ';   thus : 


f  And  God  said — 
I      [Creation  of  Light] 
And  there  was  evening  and 
there  was  mornings  one  day 


'And  God  said — 

[Creation  of  the  Firma- 
ment dividing  waters  from 
waters] 
And  there  was  evening  and 
there  was  morning,  a  second 
day 

And  God  said — 
[Creation  of  Land] 

And  God  said — 

[Creation  of  Vegetation, 
Climax  of  inanimate  Nat- 
ure] 

And  there  was  evening  and 

there  was  morning,  a  third 

day 


j  And  God  said — 
I      [Creation  of  Lights] 
And  there  was  evening  and 
there  was  morning,  a  fourth 
day 

{And  God  said — 
[Creation  of  Life  in  the 
Firmament  and  in  the 
waters] 
And  there  tv as  evening  and 
there  was  mortiing,  a  fifth 
day 

r  Ajtd  God  said — 
J       [Creation     of     Life     on 
I       Land] 
^  And  God  said — 

[Creation  of  Man,  Climax 
of  animate  Nature] 
And  there  was  evening  and 
there  zvas  i7iorning,  the  sixth 
day 


6i 


Notes  -^  Bible    Stories 

A  glance  at  the  above  scheme  shows  how  the  creation  thus 
described  falls  into  two  similar  parts,  the  first  day  corresponding 
with  the  fourth,  the  second  with  the  fifth,  the  third  with  the 
sixth.  The  impression  left  upon  our  minds  is  (i)  that  the  whole 
universe  is  one  harmonious  plan,  (2)  that  each  portion  of  this 
universe  is  God's  own  work. — The  closing  paragraph,  with  its 
six  days  of  work  and  one  of  rest,  brings  out  the  great  law  of 
life  which  we  call  the  week.  —  A  Jirt?ia7nent  .  .  .  let  it  divide 
the  waters  from  the  waters.  The  word  firmameiit  means  bar- 
rier :  the  rain  clouds  {waters  above  the  Jirmafnent']  float  upon 
the  expanse  of  air,  the  seas  and  rivers  [waters  under  thefirma- 
tnent']  are  below  it. 

ii.  This  incident  of  the  Temptation  in  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
unlike  most  Scripture  stories,  is  told  only  in  brief  outline.  It  is 
a  good  exercise  to  study  the  expansion  of  it  into  a  vivid  picture 
in  the  ninth  book  of  Milton's  Paradise  Lost.  —  The  Cherubim 
(plural)  :  one  of  the  orders  of  Angels  is  called  by  this  name. 

iii.  Unto  thee  is  its  desire,  but  thou  shouldest  rule  over  it: 
the  words  are  an  allusion  to  what  was  spoken  in  ii  to  the 
woman :  Thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy  husband,  and  he  shall  rule 
over  thee.  Sin  (so  to  speak)  comes  coaxing,  like  a  false  wufe : 
but  Cain  must  be  the  master  over  his  passions. 

iv.  Thirty  cubits  :  the  word  means  the  bend  of  the  arm;  the 
Hebrew  unit  of  length  was  from  the  elbow  to  the  wrist  of  the 
average  man.  —  Fountains  of  the  great  deep  .  .  .  windo'cus  of 
heaven  :  these  are  poetical  expressions  to  describe  the  waters  un- 
der and  waters  above  the  firmament  (see  note  on  i).  —  The  moun- 
tains of  Ararat :  a  mountain  region  in  what  is  now  Armenia. 

6e 


Genesis  8«-  Notes 

V.  Canaan  (or  Palestine)  lies  along  the  west  coast  of  Asia; 
Haran  is  supposed  to  be  in  the  far  east,  between  the  great  rivers 
Tigris  and  Euphrates.  —  Abram  is  'lofty  father';  Abraham, 
'  father  of  a  multitude  of  nations.' 

vi.  *  Isaac '  .  .  .  *  laugh '  .•  it  will  be  understood  that  through- 
out this  volume  this  use  of  inverted  commas  implies  that  the  pair 
of  words  so  indicated  have  a  resemblance  of  sound  in  the  origi- 
nal language. 

vii.  Mesopotamia:  Xht.yfoxdiXCi&z.Vi.'s,  between  the  rivers ;  it  is 
applied  to  the  land  that  lies  between  the  great  rivers  Tigris  and 
Euphrates,  the  region  from  which  originally  Abraham  came.  — 
My  master'' s  brother'' s  daughter  :  the  word  daughter  is  here  used 
for  descendant.     In  reality  she  was  a  grand-daughter. 

viii.  This  story,  like  some  others  in  Scripture,  is  a  combina- 
tion of  prose  and  verse :  the  verse  being  reserved  for  the  words 
of  blessing,  or  other  prophetic  speeches.  In  Biblical  poetry, 
verse  is  not  constituted  by  rhyme,  or  by  a  particular  number  of 
syllables  in  each  line,  but  by  '  parallelism ' :  that  is,  the  two  (or 
three)  lines  of  a  set  are  found  to  run  parallel  in  their  clauses. 
Thus,  if  Jacob  had  spoken  in  prose  he  would  have  said:  Lei 
peoples  serve  thee ;  be  lord  over  thy  brethren;  cursed  be  every 
one  that  curseth  thee.     When  instead  of  this  he  says, 

Let  peoples  serve  thee, 

And  nations  bow  dozvn  to  thee. 
Be  lord  over  thy  brethren. 

And  let  thy  mother^ s  sons  bow  down  to  thee  ; 
Cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee. 

And  blessed  be  every  one  that  blesseth  thee  — 
63 


Notes  -^  Bible    Stories 

the  addition  to  each  clause  of  a  new  clause  parallel  with  it 
leaves  on  the  ear  the  effect  of  rhythm:  which  makes  verse. 
For  a  more  precise  account  of  the  metrical  system  of  this  poetry, 
see  the  Biblical  Masterpieces  volume  of  this  series,  page  241. — 
Betk-el  means  house  of  God. — All  the  parties  to  this  story  are 
in  the  wrong.  Isaac  abuses  his  patriarchal  authority  by  seek- 
ing to  limit  the  succession  of  the  Chosen  People  to  a  favourite 
son;  Rebekah  plans  a  trick  by  which  he  is  made  to  give  the 
blessing  of  the  succession  to  the  son  for  whom  he  did  not  intend 
it;  Jacob  lends  himself  to  this  trick.  Esau,  innocent  in  this 
incident,  had  been  in  the  wrong  by  his  whole  style  of  living : 
he  was  an  ancestor  and  type  of  mountain  peoples,  living  a 
hunter's  life :  they  are  fiery  and  impulsive,  but  easily  appeased. 
In  one  of  his  sudden  impulses  (referred  to  on  page  32),  Esau 
had  sold  to  Jacob  his  rights  as  elder  son,  in  return  for  a  savoury 
soup  which  Jacob  was  cooking  when  Esau  returned  hungry  from 
a  hunt.  Such  a  character  excludes  from  the  great  nations  who 
carry  on  the  history  of  the  world.  Jacob,  with  all  his  faults, 
has  capacity  for  growth,  and  it  is  in  his  line  that  the  succession 
of  the  Chosen  People  is  continued.  Thus  the  wrong  actions 
of  all  four  are  overruled  for  good. 

ix.  This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  stories  in  all  literature, 
(i)  It  has  an  important  place  in  history,  Joseph  being  a  link 
between  the  Children  of  Israel  and  the  empire  of  Eg\'pt. 
(2)  Note  the  character  of  Joseph,  how  he  makes  an  impression 
on  all  with  whom  he  comes  into  contact.  (3)  Note  also  the 
sketches  of  varied  life  which  make  a  background  to  the  story 
as  it  moves  along  —  such  as  glimpses  of  wandering  shepherd  life, 


Genesis  B^  Notes 


trading  caravans,  palace  life  in  Egypt.  (4)  There  is  the  inter- 
est of  dreams,  five  in  all,  mysterious  foretellings  which  gradually 
become  clear  as  they  are  fulfilled.  (5)  At  last  we  have  a  double, 
or,  as  it  is  called,  '  ironic '  situation,  when  Joseph  recognises  his 
brethren  but  is  not  recognised  by  them.  This  situation  of  affairs, 
when  it  has  once  arisen,  is  prolonged  to  the  utmost  length  by 
Joseph's  conflict  of  feelings,  between  resentment  and  family 
affection.  A  climax  is  found  when,  among  the  very  men  who 
once  united  to  enslave  their  brother  Joseph,  one  is  now  found 
consenting  to  be  a  slave  in  order  to  deliver  their  brother  Ben- 
jamin. (6)  Beyond  all  other  interests  there  is  that  of  the  provi- 
dential overruling  of  human  events :  see  page  56.  —  Is  not  this 
it  .  .  .  whereby  he  divine th  ?  It  must  be  remembered  that 
Joseph  is  still  supposed  to  be  an  Egyptian  lord.  The  Egyptians 
believed  much  in  magic,  and  divination  (of  the  future)  was 
part  of  this :  images  of  idols  were  no  doubt  carved  about  the 
cup  such  as  would  be  used  in  magical  arts. 
F  65 


BIBLE    STORIES 
The  Exodus 


Introduction  to  The  Exodus 

The  second  p07'tion  of  the  Bible  history  is  called  The 
Exodus^  that  is,  the  E7fiigration  of  the  Israelites,  from 
Egypt  to  their  promised  land  of  Cajtaatt.  This  is  also  the 
period  in  which  they  ceased  to  be  7nerely  a  large  family, 
and  were  formed  into  a  7iation,  with  laws  a7id  i7istitutio7i5 
of  their  own.  Accordi7igly,  i7i  the  Bible  itself  this  period 
is  very  hard  readi7ig,  for  the  history  is  77iostly  77iade  up  of 
laws  a7id  regulatio7is  a7id  figures.  But  there  are  three 
fa77ious  stories  belonging  to  the  history  of  The  Exodus,  and 
these  throw  a  bright  light  tip07t  three  stages  i7i  the  growth 
of  Israel. 

The  first  is  the  story  of  Moses  a7id  the  Plagues  of  Egypt. 
Egypt  is  a  land  of  ple7itiful  food  and  lazy  life :  the  chil- 
dre7i  of  Israel  yielded  to  these  i7iflue7ices,  a7id  gradually 
lost  their  77ia7ili7iess .  At  last  they  were  7nade  slaves  by  the 
Egyptians  a7id  cruelly  persecuted.  Moses  was  raised  up 
to  deliver  the77i ;  a7id  i7i  the  7iarrative  of  wo7iders  which 
acco7Jipa7iied  their  escape  fro77i  Egypt,  we  have  a  picture 
of  the  Israelites  as  they  were  before  the  e77tigratio7i  bega7t 
—  a  horde  of  ti77iid  and  persecuted  slaves. 

The  Bible  narrative  then  tells  of  their  77iarch  through 
the  wilder7iess :  how  a  cloud  by  day  a7id  a  fiery  cloud  by 
69 


Introduction  ^  Bible    Stories 

night  led  the  way,  how  ^  manna,'^  or  bread  falling  from 
heave?i,  fed  them,  and  water  flowed  from  solid  rock  to  give 
them  drink.  When  mount  Sinai  was  reached  we  have  a 
second  story :  how  the  Law  of  the  Ten  Cofnmajidments  was 
given  amid  thunder  and  lightning  by  the  voice  of  God. 
This  is  the  begin7iing  of  the  lo7ig  series  of  laws  and  regu- 
lations for  the  govermnefit  of  the  people,  made  known 
fro7n  God  through  Moses. 

Then,  at  great  le?igth,  the  Bible  tells  of  the  wajidering 
for  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  icntil  the  generation  of 
Israelites  who  had  been  corrupted  by  life  iji  Egypt  had 
died  out,  and  a  new  generation  was  harde?ied  by  the  rough 
life  of  the  wilderness,  and  ready  to  conquer  the  promised 
land.  With  the  history  itself  are  fou7id  minute  laws  a?td 
regulations,  fust  before  the  end  of  the  history,  our  third 
story  copnes :  the  famous  story  of  Balaa?n.  This  Balaam 
was  a  prophet,  broitght  by  the  e7iemies  of  Israel  to  curse 
the77t :  by  divi7ie  i7ispiratio7i,  instead  of  a  curse  he  uttered 
blessi7igs.  In  the  words  of  Balaa77t's  blessi7igs  we  see 
Israel,  no  lo7iger  slavish  a7id  ti77iid,  but  a  brave  a7id  sple7i- 
didly  ordered  people,  wi7i7ii7ig  the  ad77iiratio7t  of  their 
ene7nies. 

70 


Stories  from  The  Exodus 

i.     Moses  and  the  Plagues  of  Egypt 

The  Wonderful  Preservation  of  Moses  as  a  Babe 

The  Teji  Plagues  of  Egypt 

Overthroiu  of  the  Egyptians  at  the  Red  Sea 

Song  of  Moses  ajid  Mij'iain 
ii.     Law  of  the  Ten  Commandments  from  Sinai   . 
iii.     The  Witness  of  Balaam  to  Israel 


Moses  and  the  Plagues  of  Egypt 

The  Wonderful  Preservation  of  Moses  as  a  Babe 

Now  there  arose  a  new  king  over  Egypt,  which  knew 
not  Joseph.  And  he  said  unto  his  people,  Behold,  the 
people  of  the  children  of  Israel  are  more  and  mightier 
than  we :  come,  let  us  deal  wisely  with  them  ;  lest  they 
multiply,  and  it  come  to  pass,  that,  when  there  falleth  out 
any  war,  they  also  join  themselves  unto  our  enemies,  and 
fight  against  us,  and  get  them  up  out  of  the  land.  There- 
fore they  did  set  over  them  taskmasters  to  afflict  them  with 
their  burdens.  But  the  more  they  afflicted  them,  the  more 
they  multiplied  and  the  more  they  spread  abroad.  And 
Pharaoh  charged  all  his  people,  saying,  Every  son  that  is 
born  ye  shall  cast  into  the  river,  and  every  daughter  ye 
shall  save  alive. 

And  there  went  a  man  of  the  house  of  Levi,  and  took  to 
wife  a  daughter  of  Levi.  And  the  woman  bare  a  son  :  and 
when  she  saw  him  that  he  was  a  goodly  child,  she  hid  him 
three  months.  And  when  she  could  not  longer  hide  him, 
she  took  for  him  an  ark  of  bulrushes,  and  daubed  it  with 
73 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

slime  and  with  pitch ;  and  she  put  the  child  therein,  and 
laid  it  in  the  flags  by  the  river^s  brink.  And  his  sister 
stood  afar  off,  to  know  what  would  be  done  to  him.  And 
the  daughter  of  Pharaoh  came  down  to  bathe  at  the  river ; 
and  her  maidens  walked  along  by  the  river  side ;  and  she 
saw  the  ark  among  the  flags,  and  sent  her  handmaid  to 
fetch  it.  And  she  opened  it,  and  saw  the  child:  and, 
behold,  the  babe  wept.  And  she  had  compassion  on  him, 
and  said,  This  is  one  of  the  Hebrews'  children.  Then 
said  his  sister  to  Pharaoh^s  daughter.  Shall  I  go  and  call 
thee  a  nurse  of  the  Hebrew  women,  that  she  may  nurse  the 
child  for  thee?  And  Pharaoh's  daughter  said  to  her,  Go. 
And  the  maid  went  and  called  the  child's  mother.  And 
Pharaoh's  daughter  said  unto  her,  Take  this  child  away, 
and  nurse  it  for  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  thy  wages.  And 
the  woman  took  the  child,  and  nursed  it.  And  the  child 
grew,  and  she  brought  him  unto  Pharaoh's  daughter,  and 
he  became  her  son.     And  she  called  his  name  Moses. 

T/ie  Ten  Plagiies  of  Egypt 

And  Moses  was  foursco»e  years  old,  and  Aaron  fourscore 
and  three  years  old,  when  they  spake  unto  Pharaoh.  And 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  saying. 
When  Pharaoh  shall  speak  unto  you,  saying.  Shew  a 
wonder  for  you :  then  thou  shalt  say  unto  Aaron,  Take 
thy  rod,  and  cast  it  down  before  Pharaoh,  that  it  become  a 
74 


The    Exodus  S«--  Moses 

serpent.  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  in  unto  Pharaoh, 
and  they  did  so,  as  the  Lord  had  commanded  :  and  Aaron 
cast  down  his  rod  before  Pharaoh  and  before  his  servants, 
and  it  became  a  serpent.  Then  Pharaoh  also  called  for  the 
wise  men  and  the  sorcerers  :  and  they  also,  the  magicians 
of  Egypt,  did  in  like  manner  with  their  enchantments. 
For  they  cast  down  every  man  his  rod,  and  they  became 
serpents  :  but  Aaron's  rod  swallowed  up  their  rods.  And 
Pharaoh's  heart  was  hardened,  and  he  hearkened  not  unto 
them. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Pharaoh's  heart  is  stub- 
born, he  refuseth  to  let  the  people  go.  Get  thee  unto 
Pharaoh  in  the  morning :  lo,  he  goeth  out  unto  the  water ; 
and  thou  shalt  stand  by  the  river's  brink  to  meet  him ;  and 
the  rod  which  was  turned  to  a  serpent  shalt  thou  take  in 
thine  hand.  And  thou  shalt  say  unto  him.  The  Lord,  the 
God  of  the  Hebrews,  hath  sent  me  unto  thee,  saying,  Let 
my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me  in  the  wilderness  : 
and,  behold,  hitherto  thou  hast  not  hearkened.  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  In  this  thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  the 
Lord  :  behold,  I  will  smite  with  the  rod  that  is  in  mine 
hand  upon  the  waters  which  are  in  the  river,  and  they 
shall  be  turned  to  blood.  And  the  fish  that  is  in  the  river 
shall  die,  and  the  river  shall  stink ;  and  the  Egyptians  shall 
loathe  to  drink  water  from  the  river.  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  Moses,  Say  unto  Aaron,  Take  thy  rod,  and  stretch  out 
thine  hand  over  the  waters  of  Egypt,  over  their  rivers,  over 
75 


Moses  ^  Bible    Stories 

their  streams,  and  over  their  pools,  and  over  all  their  ponds 
of  water,  that  they  may  become  blood ;  and  there  shall  be 
blood  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  both  in  vessels  of 
wood  and  in  vessels  of  stone.  And  Moses  and  Aaron  did 
so,  as  the  Lord  commanded ;  and  he  lifted  up  the  rod, 
and  smote  the  waters  that  were  in  the  river,  in  the  sight 
of  Pharaoh,  and  in  the  sight  of  his  servants ;  and  all  the 
waters  that  were  in  the  river  were  turned  to  blood.  And 
the  fish  that  was  in  the  river  died ;  and  the  river  stank, 
and  the  Eg}-ptians  could  not  drink  water  from  the  river ; 
and  the  blood  was  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  And 
the  magicians  of  Egypt  did  in  like  manner  with  their  en- 
chantments :  and  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hardened,  and  he 
hearkened  not  unto  them.  And  Pharaoh  turned  and  went 
into  his  house,  neither  did  he  lay  even  this  to  heart.  And 
all  the  Egyptians  digged  round  about  the  river  for  water 
to  drink;  for  they  could  not  drink  of  the  water  of  the 
river.  And  seven  days  were  fulfilled,  after  that  the  Lord 
had  smitten  the  river. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  Go  in  unto  Pharaoh, 
and  say  unto  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Let  my  people 
go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  And  if  thou  refuse  to  let 
them  go,  behold,  I  will  smite  all  thy  borders  with  frogs  : 
and  the  river  shall  swarm  with  frogs,  which  shall  go  up 
and  come  into  thine  house,  and  into  thy  bedchamber,  and 
upon  thy  bed,  and  into  the  house  of  thy  servants,  and  upon 
thy  people,  and  into  thine  ovens,  and  into  thy  kneading- 
76 


The    Exodus  S«^  Moses 

troughs :  and  the  frogs  shall  come  up  both  upon  thee,  and 
upon  thy  people,  and  upon  all  thy  servants.  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  Moses,  Say  unto  Aaron,  Stretch  forth  thine  hand 
with  thy  rod  over  the  rivers,  over  the  streams,  and  over 
the  pools,  and  cause  frogs  to  come  up  upon  the  land  of 
Egypt.  And  Aaron  stretched  out  his  hand  over  the 
waters  of  Egypt:  and  the  frogs  came  up,  and  covered 
the  land  of  Egypt.  And  the  magicians  did  in  like  manner 
with  their  enchantments,  and  brought  up  frogs  upon  the 
land  of  Egypt.  Then  Pharaoh  called  for  Moses  and 
Aaron,  and  said,  Intreat  the  Lord,  that  he  take  away  the 
frogs  from  me,  and  from  my  people ;  and  I  will  let  the 
people  go,  that  they  may  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord.  And 
Moses  said  unto  Pharaoh,  Have  thou  this  glory  over 
me :  against  what  time  shall  I  intreat  for  thee,  and  for  thy 
servants,  and  for  thy  people,  that  the  frogs  be  destroyed 
from  thee  and  thy  houses,  and  remain  in  the  river  only? 
And  he  said.  Against  tomorrow.  And  he  said.  Be  it  ac- 
cording to  thy  word  :  that  thou  mayest  know  that  there  is 
none  like  unto  the  Lord  our  God.  And  the  frogs  shall 
depart  from  thee,  and  from  thy  houses,  and  from  thy  ser- 
vants, and  from  thy  people ;  they  shall  remain  in  the  river 
only.  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  out  from  Pharaoh  : 
and  Moses  cried  unto  the  Lord  concerning  the  frogs 
which  he  had  brought  upon  Pharaoh.  And  the  Lord  did 
according  to  the  word  of  Moses  ;  and  the  frogs  died  out  of 
the  houses,  out  of  the  courts,  and  out  of  the  fields.     And 

77 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

they  gathered  them  together  in  heaps  :  and  the  land  stank. 
But  when  Pharaoh  saw  that  there  was  respite,  he  hardened 
his  heart,  and  hearkened  not  unto  them. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Say  unto  Aaron,  Stretch 
out  thy  rod,  and  smite  the  dust  of  the  earth,  that  it  may 
become  lice  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt.     And  they 

V  did  so ;  and  Aaron  stretched  out  his  hand  with  his  rod, 
and  smote  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  there  were  lice  upon 
man,  and  upon  beast ;  all  the  dust  of  the  earth  became  lice 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  the  magicians  did 
so  with  their  enchantments  to  bring  forth  lice,  but  they 
could  not :  and  there  were  lice  upon  man,  and  upon  beast. 
Then  the  magicians  said  unto  Pharaoh,  This  is  the  finger 
of  God  :  and  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hardened,  and  he  heark- 
ened not  unto  them. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Rise  up  early  in  the 
morning,  and  stand  before  Pharaoh  ;  lo,  he  cometh  forth 
to  the  water ;  and  say  unto  him.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Let 
my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  Else,  if  thou  wilt 
not  let  my  people  go,  behold,  I  will  send  swarms  of  flies 

^  upon  thee,  and  upon  thy  servants,  and  upon  thy  people, 
■^  and  into  thy  houses  :  and  the  houses  of  the  Egyptians  shall 
be  full  of  swarms  of  flies,  and  also  the  ground  whereon 
they  are.  And  I  will  sever  in  that  day  the  land  of  Goshen, 
in  which  my  people  dv/ell,  that  no  swarms  of  flies  shall  be 
there ;  to  the  end  thou  mayest  know  that  I  am  the  Lord 
in  the  midst  of  the  earth.  And  I  will  put  a  division  be- 
78 


The    Exodus  d^  Moses 

tween  my  people  and  thy  people :  by  tomorrow  shall  this 
sign  be.  And  the  Lord  did  so  ;  and  there  came  grievous 
swarms  of  flies  into  the  house  of  Pharaoh,  and  into  his 
servants'  houses :  and  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  the  land 
was  corrupted  by  reason  of  the  swarms  of  flies.  And  Pha- 
raoh called  for  Moses  and  for  Aaron,  and  said,  Go  ye, 
sacrifice  to  your  God  in  the  land.  And  Moses  said,  It  is 
not  meet  so  to  do ;  for  we  shall  sacrifice  the  abomination 
of  the  Egyptians  to  the  Lord  our  God  :  lo,  shall  we  sacri- 
fice the  abomination  of  the  Egyptians  before  their  eyes, 
and  will  they  not  stone  us?  We  will  go  three  days'  jour- 
ney into  the  wilderness,  and  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  our 
God,  as  he  shall  command  us.  And  Pharaoh  said,  I  will 
let  you  go,  that  ye  may  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  your  God  in 
the  wilderness  ;  only  ye  shall  not  go  very  far  away  :  intreat 
for  me.  And  Moses  said.  Behold,  I  go  out  from  thee,  and 
I  will  intreat  the  Lord  that  the  swarms  of  flies  may  depart 
from  Pharaoh,  from  his  servants,  and  from  his  people, 
tomorrow :  only  let  not  Pharaoh  deal  deceitfully  any  more 
in  not  letting  the  people  go  to  sacrifice  to  the  Lord.  And 
Moses  went  out  from  Pharaoh,  and  intreated  the  Lord. 
And  the  Lord  did  according  to  the  word  of  Moses ;  and 
he  removed  the  swarms  of  flies  from  Pharaoh,  from  his 
servants,  and  from  his  people ;  there  remained  not  one. 
And  Pharaoh  hardened  his  heart  this  time  also,  and  he 
did  not  let  the  people  go. 

Then  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Go  in  unto  Pharaoh, 
79 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

and  tell  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews, 
Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  For  if  thou 
refuse  to  let  them  go,  and  wilt  hold  them  still,  behold,  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon  thy  cattle  which  is  in  the  field, 
upon  the  horses,  upon  the  asses,  upon  the  camels,  upon 
the  herds,  and  upon  the  flocks :  there  shall  be  a  very 
grievous  murrain.  And  the  Lord  shall  sever  between 
the  cattle  of  Israel  and  the  cattle  of  Egypt :  and  there  shall 
nothing  die  of  all  that  belongeth  to  the  children  of  Israel. 
And  the  Lord  appointed  a  set  time,  saying,  Tomorrow 
the  Lord  shall  do  this  thing  in  the  land.  And  the  Lord 
did  that  thing  on  the  morrow,  and  all  the  cattle  of  Egypt 
died :  but  of  the  cattle  of  the  children  of  Israel  died  not 
one.  And  Pharaoh  sent,  and,  behold,  there  was  not  so 
much  as  one  of  the  cattle  of  the  Israelites  dead.  But  the 
heart  of  Pharaoh  was  stubborn,  and  he  did  not  let  the 
people  go. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  Take  to 
you  handfuls  of  ashes  of  the  furnace,  and  let  Moses  sprinkle 
it  toward  the  heaven  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh.  And  it  shall 
become  small  dust  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  shall 
be  a  boil  breaking  forth  with  blains  upon  man  and  upon 
beast,  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  they  took 
ashes  of  the  furnace,  and  stood  before  Pharaoh ;  and 
Moses  sprinkled  it  up  toward  heaven ;  and  it  became  a 
boil  breaking  forth  with  blains  upon  man  and  upon  beast. 
And   the   magicians  could  not   stand   before  Moses  be- 


The    Exodus  B«-  Moses 

cause  of  the  boils ;  for  the  boils  were  upon  the  magicians, 
and  upon  all  the  Egyptians.  And  the  Lord  hardened  the 
heart  of  Pharaoh,  and  he  hearkened  not  unto  them  ;  as  the 
Lord  had  spoken  unto  Moses. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Rise  up  early  in  the 
morning,  and  stand  before  Pharaoh,  and  say  unto  him. 
Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  Let  my 
people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  For  I  will  this  time 
send  all  my  plagues  upon  thine  heart,  and  upon  thy  ser- 
vants, and  upon  thy  people ;  that  thou  mayest  know  that 
there  is  none  like  me  in  all  the  earth.  For  now  I  had  put 
forth  my  hand,  and  smitten  thee  and  thy  people  with  pes- 
tilence, and  thou  hadst  been  cut  off  from  the  earth  :  but  in 
very  deed  for  this  cause  have  I  made  thee  to  stand,  for  to 
shew  thee  my  power,  and  that  my  name  may  be  declared 
throughout  all  the  earth.  As  yet  exaltest  thou  thyself 
against  my  people,  that  thou  wilt  not  let  them  go  ?  Behold, 
tomorrow  about  this  time  I  will  cause  it  to  rain  a  very  griev- 
ous hail,  such  as  hath  not  been  in  Egypt  since  the  day  it 
was  founded  even  until  now.  Now  therefore  send,  hasten 
in  thy  cattle  and  all  that  thou  hast  in  the  field ;  for  every 
man  and  beast  which  shall  be  found  in  the  field,  and  shall 
not  be  brought  home,  the  hail  shall  come  down  upon  them, 
and  they  shall  die.  He  that  feared  the  word  of  the  Lord 
among  the  servants  of  Pharaoh  made  his  servants  and  his 
cattle  flee  into  the  houses :  and  he  that  regarded  not  the 
word  of  the  Lord  left  his  servants  and  his  cattle  in  the  field. 
G  8i 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Stretch  forth  thine 
hand  toward  heaven,  that  there  may  be  hail  in  all  the  land 
of  Egypt,  upon  man,  and  upon  beast,  and  upon  every  herb 
of  the  field,  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  Moses 
stretched  forth  his  rod  toward  heaven :  and  the  Lord  sent 
thunder  and  hail,  and  fire  ran  down  unto  the  earth ;  and 
the  Lord  rained  haU  upon  the  land  of  Egypt.  So  there 
was  hail,  and  fire  mingled  with  the  hail,  very  grievous, 
such  as  had  not  been  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  since  it 
became  a  nation.  And  the  hail  smote  throughout  all  the 
land  of  Egypt  all  that  was  in  the  field,  both  man  and 
beast ;  and  the  hail  smote  every  herb  of  the  field,  and 
brake  every  tree  of  the  field.  Only  in  the  land  of  Goshen, 
where  the  children  of  Israel  were,  was  there  no  hail.  And 
Pharaoh  sent,  and  called  for  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  said 
unto  them,  I  have  sinned  this  time :  the  Lord  is  righteous, 
and  I  and  my  people  are  wicked.  Intreat  the  Lord;  for 
there  hath  been  enough  of  these  mighty  thunderings  and 
hail ;  and  I  will  let  you  go,  and  ye  shall  stay  no  longer. 
And  Moses  said  unto  him.  As  soon  as  I  am  gone  out  of 
the  city,  I  will  spread  abroad  my  hands  unto  the  Lord  ; 
the  thunders  shall  cease,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more 
hail ;  that  thou  mayest  know  that  the  earth  is  the  Lord's. 
But  as  for  thee  and  thy  servants,  I  know  that  ye  will  not 
yet  fear  the  Lord  God.  And  Moses  went  out  of  the  city 
from  Pharaoh,  and  spread  abroad  his  hands  unto  the 
Lord  :  and  the  thunders  and  hail  ceased,  and  the  rain  was 
82 


The    Exodus  d^  Moses 

not  poured  upon  the  earth.  And  when  Pharaoh  saw  that 
the  rain  and  the  hail  and  the  thunders  were  ceased,  he 
sinned  yet  more,  and  hardened  his  heart,  he  and  his  ser- 
vants. And  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  was  hardened,  and  he 
did  not  let  the  children  of  Israel  go ;  as  the  Lord  had 
spoken  by  Moses. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Go  in  unto  Pharaoh : 
for  I  have  hardened  his  heart,  and  the  heart  of  his  servants, 
that  I  might  shew  these  my  signs  in  the  midst  of  them : 
and  that  thou  mayest  tell  in  the  ears  of  thy  son,  and 
of  thy  son's  son,  what  things  I  have  wrought  upon  Egypt, 
and  my  signs  which  I  have  done  among  them ;  that  ye  may 
know  that  I  am  the  Lord.  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went 
in  unto  Pharaoh,  and  said  unto  him.  Thus  saith  the  Lord, 
the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  How  long  wilt  thou  refuse  to 
humble  thyself  before  me?  let  my  people  go,  that  they 
may  serve  me.  Else,  if  thou  refuse  to  let  my  people  go, 
behold,  tomorrow  will  I  bring  locusts  into  thy  border: 
and  they  shall  cover  the  face  of  the  earth,  that  one  shall 
not  be  able  to  see  the  earth :  and  they  shall  eat  the  resi- 
due of  that  which  is  escaped,  which  remaineth  unto  you 
from  the  hail,  and  shall  eat  every  tree  which  groweth  for 
you  out  of  the  field :  and  thy  houses  shall  be  filled,  and 
the  houses  of  all  thy  servants,  and  the  houses  of  all  the 
Egyptians ;  as  neither  thy  fathers  nor  thy  fathers'  fathers 
have  seen,  since  the  day  that  they  were  upon  the  earth 
unto  this  day.  And  he  turned,  and  went  out  from  Pharaoh, 
83 


Moses  ^  Bible    Stories 

And  Pharaoh's  servants  said  unto  him,  How  long  shall 
this  man  be  a  snare  unto  us?  let  the  men  go,  that  they 
may  serve  the  Lord  their  God :  knowest  thou  not  yet  that 
Egypt  is  destroyed?  And  Moses  and  Aaron  were  brought 
again  unto  Pharaoh :  and  he  said  unto  them,  Go,  serve 
the  Lord  your  God  :  but  who  are  they  that  shall  go  ?  And 
Moses  said,  We  will  go  with  our  young  and  with  our  old, 
with  our  sons  and  with  our  daughters,  with  our  flocks  and 
with  our  herds  will  we  go ;  for  we  must  hold  a  feast  unto 
the  Lord.  And  he  said  unto  them,  So  be  the  Lord  with 
you,  as  I  will  let  you  go,  and  your  little  ones :  look  to  it ; 
for  evil  is  before  you.  Not  so :  go  now  ye  that  are  men, 
and  serve  the  Lord;  for  that  is  what  ye  desire.  And 
they  were  driven  out  from  Pharaoh's  presence. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Aloses,  Stretch  out  thine  hand 
over  the  land  of  Egypt  for  the  locusts,  that  they  may  come 
up  upon  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  eat  every  herb  of  the  land, 
even  all  that  the  hail  hath  left.  And  Moses  stretched 
forth  his  rod  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  the  Lord  brought 
an  east  wind  upon  the  land  all  that  day,  and  all  the  night ; 
and  when  it  was  morning,  the  east  wind  brought  the 
locusts.  And  the  locusts  went  up  over  all  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  rested  in  all  the  borders  of  Egypt ;  very  griev- 
ous were  they ;  before  them  there  were  no  such  locusts  as 
they,  neither  after  them  shall  be  such.  For  they  covered 
the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  so  that  the  land  was  darkened  ; 
and  they  did  eat  every  herb  of  the  land,  and  all  the  fruit 
84 


The    Exodus  B^  Moses 

of  the  trees  which  the  hail  had  left :  and  there  remained 
not  any  green  thing,  either  tree  or  herb  of  the  field, 
through  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  Then  Pharaoh  called  for 
Moses  and  Aaron  in  haste ;  and  he  said,  I  have  sinned 
against  the  Lord  your  God,  and  against  you.  Now  there- 
fore forgive,  I  pray  thee,  my  sin  only  this  once,  and  intreat 
the  Lord  your  God,  that  he  may  take  away  from  me  this 
death  only.  And  he  went  out  from  Pharaoh,  and  intreated 
the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  turned  an  exceeding  strong 
vv^est  wind,  which  took  up  the  locusts,  and  drove  them  into 
the  Red  Sea ;  there  remained  not  one  locust  in  all  the 
border  of  Egypt.  But  the  Lord  hardened  Pharaoh's 
heart,  and  he  did  not  let  the  children  of  Israel  go. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Stretch  out  thine  hand 
toward  heaven,  that  there  may  be  darkness  over  the  land 
of  Egypt,  even  darkness  which  may  be  felt.  And  Moses 
stretched  forth  his  hand  toward  heaven ;  and  there  was 
a  thick  darkness  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  three  days  ;  they 
saw  not  one  another,  neither  rose  any  from  his  place  for 
three  days  :  but  all  the  children  of  Lsrael  had  light  in  their 
dwellings.  And  Pharaoh  called  unto  Moses,  and  said, 
Go  ye,  serve  the  Lord  ;  only  let  your  flocks  and  your 
herds  be  stayed  :  let  your  little  ones  also  go  with  you. 
And  Moses  said,  Thou  must  also  give  into  our  hand  sac- 
rifices and  burnt  offerings,  that  we  may  sacrifice  unto  the 
Lord  our  God.  Our  cattle  also  shall  go  with  us ;  there 
shall  not  an  hoof  be  left  behind  ;  for  thereof  must  we  take 
85 


Moses  ^  Bible    Stories 

to  serve  the  Lord  our  God ;  and  we  know  not  with  what 
we  must  serve  the  Lord,  until  we  come  thither.  But  the 
Lord  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  he  would  not  let 
them  go.  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  him,  Get  thee  from  me, 
take  heed  to  thyself,  see  my  face  no  more ;  for  in  the  day 
thou  seest  my  face  thou  shalt  die.  And  Moses  said,  Thou 
hast  spoken  well ;  I  will  see  thy  face  again  no  more. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  yet  one  plague  more 
will  I  bring  upon  Pharaoh,  and  upon  Egypt ;  afterwards 
he  will  let  you  go  hence :  when  he  shall  let  you  go,  he 
shall  surely  thrust  you  out  hence  altogether.  Speak  now 
in  the  ears  of  the  people,  and  let  them  ask  every  man  of 
his  neighbour,  and  every  woman  of  her  neighbour,  jewels 
of  silver,  and  jewels  of  gold.  And  the  Lord  gave  the 
people  favour  in  the  sight  of  the  Egyptians.  Moreover 
the  man  Moses  was  very  great  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the 
sight  of  Pharaoh's  servants,  and  in  the  sight  of  the  people. 

And  Moses  said.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  About  midnight 
will  I  go  out  into  the  midst  of  Egypt :  and  all  the  first- 
born in  the  land  of  Egypt  shall  die,  from  the  firstborn  of 
Pharaoh  that  sitteth  upon  his  throne,  even  unto  the  first- 
born of  the  maidservant  that  is  behind  the  mill ;  and  all 
the  firstborn  of  cattle.  And  there  shall  be  a  great  cry 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  such  as  there  hath  been 
none  like  it,  nor  shall  be  like  it  any  more.  But  against  any 
of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  not  a  dog  move  his  tongue, 
against  man  or  beast:  that  ye  may  know  how  that  the 
86 


The    Exodus  S«^  Moses 

Lord  doth  put  a  difference  between  the  Egyptians  and 
Israel.  And  all  these  thy  servants  shall  come  down  unto 
me,  and  bow  down  themselves  unto  me,  saying,  Get  thee 
out,  and  all  the  people  that  follow  thee :  and  after  that 
I  will  go  out.  And  he  went  out  from  Pharaoh  in  hot 
anger. 

Then  Moses  called  for  all  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  said 
unto  them.  Draw  out,  and  take  you  lambs  according  to 
your  families,  and  kill  the  passover.  And  ye  shall  take  a 
bunch  of  hyssop,  and  dip  it  in  the  blood  that  is  in  the 
bason,  and  strike  the  lintel  and  the  two  side  posts  with 
the  blood  that  is  in  the  bason ;  and  none  of  you  shall  go 
out  of  the  door  of  his  house  until  the  morning.  For  the 
Lord  will  pass  through  to  smite  the  Egyptians ;  and 
when  he  seeth  the  blood  upon  the  lintel,  and  on  the  two 
side  posts,  the  Lord  will  pass  over  the  door,  and  will  not 
suffer  the  destroyer  to  come  in  unto  your  houses  to  smite 
you.  And  ye  shall  observe  this  thing  for  an  ordinance  to 
thee  and  to  thy  sons  for  ever. 

And  it  came  to  pass  at  midnight,  that  the  Lord  smote 
all  the  firstborn  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  the  first- 
born of  Pharaoh  that  sat  on  his  throne  unto  the  firstborn 
of  the  captive  that  was  in  the  dungeon ;  and  all  the  first- 
born of  cattle.  And  Pharaoh  rose  up  in  the  night,  he, 
and  all  his  servants,  and  all  the  Egyptians ;  and  there  was 
a  great  cry  in  Egypt ;  for  there  was  not  a  house  where 
there  was  not  one  dead.  And  he  called  for  Moses  and 
87 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

Aaron  by  night,  and  said,  Rise  up,  get  you  forth  from 
among  my  people,  both  ye  and  the  children  of  Israel ;  and 
go,  serve  the  Lord,  as  ye  have  said.  Take  both  your 
flocks  and  your  herds,  as  ye  have  said,  and  be  gone ;  and 
bless  me  also.  And  the  Egyptians  were  urgent  upon  the 
people,  to  send  them  out  of  the  land  in  haste ;  for  they 
said,  We  be  all  dead  men.  And  the  people  took  their 
dough  before  it  was  leavened,  their  kneadingtroughs  being 
bound  up  in  their  clothes  upon  their  shoulders.  And  the 
children  of  Israel  did  according  to  the  w^ord  of  Moses  ;  and 
they  asked  of  the  Egyptians  jewels  of  silver,  and  jewels  of 
gold,  and  raiment :  and  the  Lord  gave  the  people  favour 
in  the  sight  of  the  Egyptians,  so  that  they  let  them  have 
what  they  asked.     And  they  spoiled  the  Egyptians. 

Overth'oiv  of  the  Egyptiajis  at  the  Red  Sea 

And  it  was  told  the  king  of  Egypt  that  the  people  were 
fled :  and  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  and  of  his  servants  was 
changed  towards  the  people,  and  they  said.  What  is  this 
we  have  done,  that  we  have  let  Israel  go  from  serving  us  ? 
And  he  made  ready  his  chariot,  and  took  his  people  with 
him  :  and  he  took  six  hundred  chosen  chariots,  and  all  the 
chariots  of  Egypt,  and  captains  over  all  of  them.  And 
the  Lord  hardened  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt, 
and  he  pursued  after  the  children  of  Israel :  for  the  chil- 
dren  of  Israel  went  out  with  an   high   hand-     And   the 


The    Exodus  B«-  Moses 

Egyptians  pursued  after  them,  all  the  horses  and  chariots 
of  Pharaoh,  and  his  horsemen,  and  his  army,  and  over- 
took them  encamping  by  the  sea.  And  when  Pharaoh 
drew  nigh,  the  children  of  Israel  lifted  up  their  eyes,  and, 
behold,  the  Egyptians  marched  after  them  ;  and  they  were 
sore  afraid :  and  the  children  of  Israel  cried  out  unto  the 
Lord.  And  they  said  unto  Moses,  Because  there  were  no 
graves  in  Egypt,  hast  thou  taken  us  away  to  die  in  the 
wilderness?  wherefore  hast  thou  dealt  thus  with  us,  to 
bring  us  forth  out  of  Egypt?  Is  not  this  the  word  that 
we  spake  unto  thee  in  Egypt,  saying,  Let  us  alone,  that  we 
may  serve  the  Egyptians?  For  it  were  better  for  us  to 
serve  the  Egyptians,  than  that  we  should  die  in  the  wilder- 
ness. And  Moses  said  unto  the  people,  Fear  ye  not, 
stand  still,  and  see  the  salvation  of  the  Lord,  which  he 
will  work  for  you  today  :  for  the  Egyptians  whom  ye  have 
seen  today,  ye  shall  see  them  again  no  more  for  ever. 
The  Lord  shall  fight  for  you,  and  ye  shall  hold  your 
peace. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Wherefore  criest  thou 
unto  me?  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  go 
forward.  And  lift  thou  up  thy  rod,  and  stretch  out  thine 
hand  over  the  sea,  and  divide  it :  and  the  children  of 
Israel  shall  go  into  the  midst  of  the  sea  on  dry  ground. 
And  I,  behold,  I  will  harden  the  hearts  of  the  Egyptians, 
and  they  shall  go  in  after  them  :  and  I  will  get  me  honour 
upon  Pharaoh,  and  upon  all  his  host,  upon  his  chariots, 
89 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

and  upon  his  horsemen.  And  the  Eg\-ptians  shall  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord,  when  I  have  gotten  me  honour  upon 
Pharaoh,  upon  his  chariots,  and  upon  his  horsemen.  And 
the  angel  of  God,  which  went  before  the  camp  of  Israel, 
removed  and  went  behind  them ;  and  the  pillar  of  cloud 
removed  from  before  them,  and  stood  behind  them  :  and  it 
came  between  the  camp  of  Egypt  and  the  camp  of  Israel ; 
and  there  was  the  cloud  and  the  darkness,  yet  gave  it 
light  by  night :  and  the  one  came  not  near  the  other  all 
the  night.  And  Moses  stretched  out  his  hand  over  the 
sea ;  and  the  Lord  caused  the  sea  to  go  back  by  a  strong 
east  wind  all  the  night,  and  made  the  sea  dry  land,  and 
the  waters  were  divided.  And  the  children  of  Israel  went 
into  the  midst  of  the  sea  upon  the  dry  ground :  and  the 
waters  were  a  wall  unto  them  on  their  right  hand,  and  on 
their  left.  And  the  Egyptians  pursued,  and  went  in  after 
them  into  the  midst  of  the  sea,  all  Pharaoh's  horses,  his 
chariots,  and  his  horsemen.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
morning  watch,  that  the  Lord  looked  forth  upon  the 
host  of  the  Egyptians  through  the  pillar  of  fire  and  of 
cloud,  and  discomfited  the  host  of  the  Egyptians.  And 
he  took  off  their  chariot  wheels,  that  they  drave  them 
heavily ;  so  that  the  Egyptians  said,  Let  us  flee  from  the 
face  of  Israel ;  for  the  Lord  fighteth  for  them  against  the 
Egyptians. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Stretch  out  thine  hand 
over  the  sea,  that  the  waters  may  come  again  upon  the 
90 


The    Exodus  S«-  Moses 

Egyptians,  upon  their  chariots  and  upon  their  horsemen. 
And  Moses  stretched  forth  his  hand  over  the  sea,  and  the 
sea  returned  to  its  strength  when  the  morning  appeared ; 
and  the  Egyptians  fled  against  it ;  and  the  Lord  over- 
threw the  Egyptians  in  the  midst  of  tlie  sea.  And  the 
waters  returned,  and  covered  the  chariots,  and  the  horse- 
men, even  all  the  host  of  Pharaoh  that  went  in  after 
them  into  the  sea ;  there  remained  not  so  much  as  one 
of  them. 

Thus  the  Lord  saved  Israel  that  day  out  of  the  hand  of 
the  Egyptians ;  and  Israel  saw  the  Egyptians  dead  upon 
the  sea  shore.  And  the  people  believed  in  the  Lord  and 
in  his  servant  Moses- 
Then  sang  Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel  this  song 
unto  the  Lord. 


Song  of  Moses  and  Miriam 
All  Together 

I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triiitnphed gloriously , 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  i?ito  the  sea. 

The  Lord  is  my  strength  and  song. 
And  he  is  become  my  salvation : 

This  is  my  God,  and  I  will  praise  him  ; 
My  father's  God,  and  I  will  exalt  him. 
91 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

I 

Men 

The  Lord  is  a  man  of  war : 

The  Lord  is  his  name. 
Pharaoh's  chariots  and  his  host  hath  he  cast  into  the  sea : 

And  his  chosen  captains  are  sunk  in  the  Red  Sea. 
The  deeps  cover  them  : 

They  went  down  into  the  depths  like  a  stone. 

Women 

Sing  ye  to  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  gloriously : 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the  sea. 


Men 

Thy  right  hand,  O  Lord,  is  glorious  in  power, 

Thy  right  hand,  O  Lord,  dasheth  in  pieces  the  enemy. 
And  in  the  greatness  of  thine  excellency  thou  overthrowest 
them  that  rise  up  against  thee  : 
Thou  sendest  forth  thy  wrath,  it  consumeth  them  as 
stubble. 
And  with  the  blast  of  thy  nostrils  the  waters  were  piled  up, 
The  floods  stood  upright  as  an  heap  ; 
The  deeps  were  congealed  in  the  heart  of  the  sea. 
92 


The    Exodus  S«-  Moses 

The  enemy  said,  I  will  pursue,  I  will  overtake,  I  will  divide 
the  spoil : 

My  lust  shall  be  satisfied  upon  them ; 

I  will  draw  my  sword,  my  hand  shall  destroy  them. 
Thou  didst  blow  with  thy  wind,  the  sea  covered  them : 

They  sank  as  lead  in  the  mighty  waters. 

Women 

Sing  ye  to  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  gloriously : 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the  sea. 


3 

Men 

Who  is  like  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  among  the  gods? 
Who  is  like  thee,  glorious  in  holiness, 
Fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders  ? 
Thou  stretchedst  out  thy  right  hand. 

The  earth  swallowed  them. 
Thou  in  thy  mercy  hast  led  the  people  which  thou  hast 
redeemed : 
Thou  hast  guided  them  in  thy  strength  to  thy  holy 
habitation. 
The  peoples  have  heard,  they  tremble : 

Pangs  have  taken  hold  on  the  inhabitants  of  Philistia. 
93 


Moses  -^  Bible    Stories 

Then  were  the  dukes  of  Edom  amazed  ; 

The   mighty   men   of  Moab,  trembling  taketh   hold 
upon  them : 
All  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan  are  melted  away. 

Terror  and  dread  falleth  upon  them  ; 
By  the  greatness  of  thine  arm  they  are  as  still  as  a  stone ; 
Till  thy  people  pass  over,  O  Lord, 
Till  the  people  pass  over  which  thou  hast  purchased. 
Thou  shalt  bring  them  in,  and  plant  them  in  the  mountain 

of  thine  inheritance, 
The  place,  O  Lord,  which  thou  hast  made  for  thee  to 
dwell  in, 
The  sanctuar}-,  O  Lord,  which  thy  hands  have  estab- 
lished. 
The  Lord  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 

Women 

Smg  ye  to  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triuj?iphed  glorioiisly  : 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  throw Ji  into  the  sea. 
94 


The    Exodus  8«-  The  Commandments 

ii 

Law  of  the  Ten  Commandments  from  Sinai 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses^  Go  unto  the  people, 
and  sanctify  them  today  and  tomorrow,  and  let  them  wash 
their  garments,  and  be  ready  against  the  third  day:  for 
the  third  day  the  Lord  will  come  down  in  the  sight  of  all 
the  people  upon  mount  Sinai.  And  thou  shalt  set  bounds 
unto  the  people  round  about,  saying,  Take  heed  to  your- 
selves, that  ye  go  not  up  into  the  mount,  or  touch  the 
border  of  it :  whosoever  toucheth  the  mount  shall  be 
surely  put  to  death  :  no  hand  shall  touch  him,  but  he  shall 
surely  be  stoned,  or  shot  through  ;  whether  it  be  beast  or 
man,  it  shall  not  live :  when  the  trumpet  soundeth  long, 
they  shall  come  up  to  the  mount.  And  Moses  went  down 
from  the  mount  unto  the  people,  and  sanctified  the  people  ; 
and  they  washed  their  garments.  And  he  said  unto  the 
people,  Be  ready  against  the  third  day. 

And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  when  it  was 
morning,  that  there  were  thunders  and  lightnings,  and  a 
thick  cloud  upon  the  mount,  and  the  voice  of  a  trumpet 
exceeding  loud ;  and  all  the  people  that  were  in  the  camp 
trembled.  And  Moses  brought  forth  the  people  out  of 
the  camp  to  meet  God ;  and  they  stood  at  the  nether  part 
95 


The  Commandments  -^  Bible    Stories 

of  the  mount.  And  mount  Sinai  was  altogether  on 
smoke,  because  the  Lord  descended  upon  it  in  fire :  and 
the  smoke  thereof  ascended  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace, 
and  the  whole  mount  quaked  greatly.  And  when  the 
voice  of  the  trumpet  waxed  louder  and  louder,  Moses 
spake,  and  God  answered  him  by  a  voice. 

And  God  spake  all  these  words,  saying : 

I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  brought  thee  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage. 

Thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  before  me. 

Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  a  graven  image, 
nor  the  likeness  of  any  form  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that 
is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the 
earth  :  thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  unto  them,  nor 
^erve  them :  for  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God, 
visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  upon 
the  third  and  upon  the  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate 
me  ;  and  shewing  mercy  unto  thousands,  of  them  that  love 
me  and  keep  my  commandments. 

Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  vain  ;  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that 
taketh  his  name  in  vain. 

Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy.  Six 
days  shalt  thou  labour,  and  do  all  thy  work :  but  the 
seventh  day  is  a  sabbath  unto  the  Lord  thy  God :  in  it 
thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy 
daughter,  thy  manservant,  nor  thy  maidservant,  nor  thy 
96 


The    Exodus  6«^  The  Commandments 

cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates :  for  in  six 
days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all 
that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day :  wherefore  the 
Lord  blessed  the  sabbath  day,  and  hallowed  it. 

Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother  :  that  thy  days 
may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee. 

Thou  shalt  do  no  murder. 

Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy 
neighbour. 

Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  house,  thou 
shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife,  nor  his  manservant, 
nor  his  maidservant,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  any  thin^ 
that  is  thy  neighbour's.  * 

And  all  the  people  saw  the  thunderings,  and  the  light- 
nings, and  the  voice  of  the  trumpet,  and  the  mountain 
smoking :  and  when  the  people  saw  it,  they  trembled,  and 
stood  afar  off.  And  they  said  unto  Moses,  Speak  thou 
with  us,  and  we  will  hear :  but  let  not  God  speak  with  us, 
lest  we  die.  And  Moses  said  unto  the  people,  Fear  not : 
for  God  is  come  to  prove  you,  and  that  his  fear  may  be 
before  you,  that  ye  sin  not.  And  the  people  stood  afar  off, 
and  Moses  drew  near  unto  the  thick  darkness  where  God 


97 


Balaam  ^  Bible    Stories 

iii 

The  Witness  of  Balaam  to  Israel 

And  Moab  was  sore  afraid  of  the  people  of  Israel, 
because  they  were  many ;  and  Moab  said,  Now  shall  this 
multitude  lick  up  all  that  is  round  about  us,  as  the  ox 
licketh  up  the  grass  of  the  field.  And  Balak  the  son  of 
Zippor  was  king  of  Moab  at  that  time.  And  he  sent 
messengers  unto  Balaam,  the  son  of  Beor,  to  the  land  of 
the  children  of  his  people,  to  call  him,  saying,  Behold, 
there  is  a  people  come  out  from  Egypt ;  behold,  they 
cover  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  they  abide  over  against 
me :  come  now  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  curse  me  this 
people ;  for  they  are  too  mighty  for  me :  peradventure  I 
shall  prevail,  that  we  may  smite  them,  and  that  I  may 
drive  them  out  of  the  land  :  for  I  know  that  he  whom  thou 
blessest  is  blessed,  and  he  whom  thou  cursest  is  cursed. 
And  the  elders  of  Moab  departed  with  the  rewards  of 
divination  in  their  hand;  and  they  came  unto  Balaam, 
and  spake  unto  him  the  words  of  Balak.  And  he  said  unto 
them,  Lodge  here  this  night,  and  I  will  bring  you  word 
again,  as  the  Lord  shall  speak  unto  me.  And  the  princes 
of  Moab  abode  with  Balaam.  And  God  came  unto 
Balaam,  and  said,  What  men  are  these  with  thee?     And 


The    Exodus  S«-  Balaam 

Balaam  said  unto  God,  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor,  king  of 
Moab,  hath  sent  unto  me,  saying,  Behold,  the  people  that 
is  come  out  of  Egypt,  it  covereth  the  face  of  the  earth : 
now,  come  curse  me  them ;  peradventure  I  shall  be  able 
to  fight  against  them,  and  shall  drive  them  out.  And  God 
said  unto  Balaam,  Thou  shalt  not  go  with  them;  thou 
shalt  not  curse  the  people:  for  they  are  blessed.  And 
Balaam  rose  up  in  the  morning,  and  said  unto  the  princes 
of  Balak,  Get  you  into  your  land  :  for  the  Lord  refuseth  to 
give  me  leave  to  go  with  you. 

And  the  princes  of  Moab  rose  up,  and  they  went  unto 
Balak,  and  said,  Balaam  refuseth  to  come  with  us.  And 
Balak  sent  yet  again  princes,  more,  and  more  honourable 
than  they.  And  they  came  to  Balaam,  and  said  to  him, 
Thus  saith  Balak,  the  son  of  Zippor,  Let  nothing,  I 
pray  thee,  hinder  thee  from  coming  unto  me:  for  I  will 
promote  thee  unto  very  great  honour,  and  whatsoever 
thou  sayest  unto  me  I  will  do :  come  therefore,  I  pray 
thee,  curse  me  this  people.  And  Balaam  answered  and 
said  unto  the  servants  of  Balak,  If  Balak  would  give 
me  his  house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond 
the  word  of  the  Lord  my  God,  to  do  less  or  more.  Now 
therefore,  I  pray  you,  tarry  ye  also  here  this  night,  that 
I  may  know  what  the  Lord  will  speak  unto  me  more.  And 
God  came  unto  Balaam  at  night,  and  said  unto  him.  If  the 
men  be  come  to  call  thee,  rise  up,  go  with  them  ;  but  only 
the  word  which  I  speak  unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou  do. 
99 


Balaam  ^  Bible    Stories 

So  Balaam  went  with  the  princes  of  Balak.  And  when 
Balak  heard  that  Balaam  was  come,  he  went  out  to  meet 
him  unto  the  city  of  Moab,  which  is  in  the  utmost  part  of 
the  border.  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Did  I  not  ear- 
nestly send  unto  thee  to  call  thee?  wherefore  camest  thou 
not  unto  me?  am  I  not  able  indeed  to  promote  thee  to 
honour?  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Lo,  I  am  come  unto 
thee :  have  I  now  any  power  at  all  to  speak  anything?  the 
word  that  God  putteth  in  my  mouth,  that  shall  I  speak. 

And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning,  that  Balak  took 
Balaam,  and  brought  him  up  into  the  high  places  of 
Baal,  and  he  saw  from  thence  the  utmost  part  of  the 
people.  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here 
seven  altars,  and  prepare  me  here  seven  bullocks  and 
seven  rams.  And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  spoken  ;  and 
Balak  and  Balaam  offered  on  every  altar  a  bullock  and  a 
ram.  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Stand  by  thy  burnt 
offering,  and  I  will  go ;  peradventure  the  Lord  will  come 
to  meet  me :  and  whatsoever  he  sheweth  me  I  will  tell 
thee.  And  he  went  to  a  bare  height.  And  God  met 
Balaam  :  and  he  said  unto  him,  I  have  prepared  the  seven 
altars,  and  I  have  offered  up  a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every 
altar.  And  the  Lord  put  a  word  in  Balaam's  mouth,  and 
said,  Return  unto  Balak,  and  thus  thou  shalt  speak.  And 
he  returned  unto  him,  and,  lo,  he  stood  by  his  burnt  offer- 
ing, he,  and  all  the  princes  of  Moab.  And  he  took  up  his 
parable,  and  said : 

xoo 


The    Exodus  8^  Balaam 

From  Aram  hath  Balak  brought  me, 

The  king  of  Moab  from  the  mountains  of  the  East : 
Come,  curse  me  Jacob, 

And  come,  defy  Israel. 
How  shall  I  curse,  whom  God  hath  not  cursed? 

And  how  shall  I  defy,  whom  the  Lord  hath  not  defied? 
For  from  the  top  of  the  rocks  I  see  him, 

And  from  the  hills  I  behold  him: 
Lo,  it  is  a  people  that  dwell  alone. 

And  shall  not  be  reckoned  among  the  nations. 
Who  can  count  the  dust  of  Jacob, 

Or  number  the  fourth  part  of  Israel? 
Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous, 

And  let  my  last  end  be  like  his ! 

And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  What  hast  thou  done  unto 
me  ?  I  took  thee  to  curse  mine  enemies,  and,  behold,  thou 
hast  blessed  them  altogether.  And  he  answered  and  said, 
Must  I  not  take  heed  to  speak  that  which  the  Lord  putteth 
in  my  mouth  ? 

And  Balak  said  unto  him,  Come,  I  pray  thee,  with  me 
unto  another  place,  from  whence  thou  mayest  see  them ; 
thou  shalt  see  but  the  utmost  part  of  them,  and  shalt  not 
see  them  all :  and  curse  me  them  from  thence.  And  he  took 
him  into  the  field  of  Zophim,  to  the  top  of  Pisgah,  and  built 
seven  altars,  and  offered  up  a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every 
altar.     And  he  said  unto  Balak,  Stand  here  by  thy  burnt 


Balaam  ^  Bible    Stories 

offering,  while  I  meet  the  Lord  yonder.  And  the  Lord 
met  Balaam,  and  put  a  word  in  his  mouth,  and  said,  Return 
unto  Balak,  and  thus  shalt  thou  speak.  And  he  came  to 
him,  and,  lo,  he  stood  by  his  burnt  offering,  and  the 
princes  of  Moab  with  him.  And  Balak  said  unto  him, 
What  hath  the  Lord  spoken?  And  he  took  up  his 
parable,  and  said : 

Rise  up,  Balak,  and  hear ; 

Hearken  unto  me,  thou  son  of  Zippor : 
God  is  not  a  man,  that  he  should  lie ; 

Neither  the  son  of  man,  that  he  should  repent : 
Hath  he  said,  and  shall  he  not  do  it? 

Or  hath  he  spoken,  and   shall  he  not  make   it 
good? 
Behold,  I  have  received  commandment  to  bless : 

And  he  hath  blessed,  and  I  cannot  reverse  it. 
He  hath  not  beheld  iniquity  in  Jacob, 

Neither  hath  he  seen  perverseness  in  Israel : 
The  Lord  his  God  is  with  him, 

And  the  shout  of  a  king  is  among  them. 
God  bringeth  them  forth  out  of  Egypt ; 

He  hath  as  it  were  the  strength  of  the  wild-ox. 
Surely  there  is  no  enchantment  against  Jacob, 

Neither  is  there  any  divination  against  Lsrael : 

Now  shall  it  be  said  of  Jacob  and  of  Israel,  What 
hath  God  wrought ! 


The    Exodus  8«>-  Balaam 

Behold,  the  people  riseth  up  as  a  Honess, 
And  as  a  lion  doth  he  lift  himself  up  : 

He  shall  not  lie  down  until  he  eat  of  the  prey, 
And  drink  the  blood  of  the  slain. 

And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Neither  curse  them  at  all, 
nor  bless  them  at  all.  But  Balaam  answered  and  said 
unto  Balak,  Told  not  I  thee,  saying,  All  that  the  Lord 
speaketh,  that  I  must  do? 

And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Come  now,  I  will  take  thee 
unto  another  place ;  peradventure,  it  will  please  God  that 
thou  mayest  curse  me  them  from  thence.  And  Balak  took 
Balaam  unto  the  top  of  Peor,  that  looketh  down  upon  the 
desert.  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here  seven 
altars,  and  prepare  me  here  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams. 
And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  said,  and  offered  up  a  bul- 
lock and  a  ram  on  every  altar.  And  when  Balaam  saw 
that  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  bless  Israel,  he*  wen|  not,  as  at 
the  other  times,  to  meet  with  enchantments,  but  he  set 
his  face  toward  the  wilderness.  And  Balaam  lifted  up  his 
eyes,  and  he  saw  Israel  dwelling  according  to  their  tribes ; 
and  the  spirit  of  God  came  upon  him.  And  he  took  up 
his  parable,  and  said  : 

Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  saith, 

And  the  man  whose  eye  is  opened  saith : 
He  saith,  which  heareth  the  words  of  God, 
103 


Balaam  -»9  Bible    Stories 

Which  seeth  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 

Falling  down,  and  having  his  eyes  open  : 

How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob, 

Thy  tabernacles,  O  Israel ! 
As  valleys  are  they  spread  forth, 

As  gardens  by  the  river  side. 
As  lign-aloes  which  the  Lord  hath  planted, 

As  cedar  trees  beside  the  waters. 
Water  shall  flow  from  his  buckets, 

And  his  seed  shall  be  in  many  waters. 
And  his  king  shall  be  higher  than  Agag, 

And  his  kingdom  shall  be  exalted. 
God  bringeth  him  forth  out  of  Egypt ; 

He  hath  as  it  were  the  strength  of  the  wild-ox : 
He  shall  eat  up  the  nations  his  adversaries, 
^' And  shall  break  their  bones  in  pieces, 
^'An 5  smite  them  through  with  his  arrows. 
He'-^ouched,  he  lay  down  as  a  lion, 

And  as  a  lioness  ;  who  shall  rouse  him  up? 
Blessed  be  every  one  that  blesseth  thee. 

And  cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee. 

And  Balak's  anger  was  kindled  against  Balaam,  and  he 
smote  his  hands  together :  and  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  I 
called  thee  to  curse  mine  enemies,  and,  behold,  thou  hast 
altogether  blessed   them   these   three   times.     Therefore 

IQ4 


The    Exodus  8«-  Balaam 

now  flee  thou  to  thy  place :  I  thought  to  promote  thee 
unto  great  honour ;  but,  lo,  the  Lord  hath  kept  thee  back 
from  honour.  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Spake  I  not 
also  to  thy  messengers  which  thou  sentest  unto  me,  saying, 
If  Balak  would  give  me  his  house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I 
cannot  go  beyond  the  word  of  the  Lord,  to  do  either  good 
or  bad  of  mine  own  mind ;  what  the  Lord  speaketh,  that 
will  I  speak?  And  now,  behold,  I  go  unto  my  people: 
come,  and  I  will  advertise  thee  what  this  people  shall  do 
to  thy  people  in  the  latter  days.  And  he  took  up  his  para- 
ble, and  said : 


Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  saith, 

And  the  man  whose  eye  is  opened  saith : 
He  saith,  which  heareth  the  words 

And  knoweth  the  knowledge  oj^^^^st  High, 
Which  seeth  the  vision  of  the  Almi 

Falling  down,  and  having  his 


ened  saith 
;  o^^d, 
oj^^^s 

e^mPi 


I  see  him,  but  not  now : 

I  behold  him,  but  not  nigh : 
There  shall  come  forth  a  star  out  of  Jacob, 

And  a  sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel, 
And  shall  smite  through  the  corners  of  Moab, 

And  break  down  all  the  sons  of  tumult. 
And  Edom  shall  be  a  possession, 
los 


Balaam  ^  Bible    Stories 

Seir  also  shall  be  a  possession,  which  were  his  enemies ; 
While  Israel  doeth  valiantly. 

And  Balaam  rose  up,  and  went  and  returned  to  his  place : 
and  Balak  also  went  his  way. 

io6 


• 


The   Exodus  3«-  Notes 


Notes  to  The  Exodus 

i.  Note  the  preparation  of  Moses  for  his  future  career  by 
his  education  at  court  in  the  learning  of  the  age.  —  Page  79. 
A  bo77ii  nation  of  ike  Egyptians  :  that  is,  cattle  :  which  the  Egyp- 
tian religion  regarded  as  objects  of  worship,  Moses  as  wicked 
idols.  —  Page  80.  Blains  :  an  old  word  for  blister.  —  Page  81. 
The  Lord  hardened  the  heart  of  Pharaoh.  In  the  earlier 
stages  of  this  story  it  is  said  that  Pharaoh'' s  heart  was  hardened^ 
or  that  Pharaoh  hardened  his  heart;  in  the  later  parts  the 
expression  is  used  that  God  hardened  Pharaoh'' s  heart.  Volun- 
tary yielding  to  evil  produces  in  time  a  tendency  to  evil  that 
can  hardly  be  resisted.  What  happens  by  a  law  of  God's 
providence  may  properly  be  said  to  be  done  by  God.  —  Page  84. 
So  be  the  LORD  with  you,  as  I  will  let  you  go,  etc. :  Pharaoh 
is  of  course  speaking  ironically:  May  your  God  bless  you  as 
surely  as  I  mean  to  grant  your  request :  thaflL  not  at  all.  — 
Page  86.  See  my  face  tio  more  .  .  .  I  will  see^^  face  again  no 
more :  the  context  shows  that  the  phrase  see  Pharaoh'' s  face 
is  used  in  the  sense  of  coming  before  Pharaoh  with  a  petition. 
When  Moses  comes  the  next  time,  he  makes  no  petition,  but 
only  utters  a  threat.  —  Page  gi.  This  Song  was  probably  per- 
formed thus :  the  Men,  headed  by  Aaron,  alternated  with  the 
Women  headed  by  Aaron's  sister  Miriam.  The  women's  part  is 
a  refrain  coming  over  again  and  again,  and  was  accompanied 
with  timbrel  music  and  dancing.  —  Page  93.  Philistia  .  .  . 
Edom  .  .  .  Moab :  Edom  and  Moab  were  peoples  the  Israelites 

107 


Notes  ^  Bible    Stories 

were  to  encounter  in  the  wilderness,  Philistia  was  the  chief  of 
their  future  foes  in  Canaan.  Poetically  these  people  are 
imagined  as  trembling  before  this  deliverance  of  Israel  at  the 
Red  Sea,  which  was  the  first  step  towards  their  future  triumphs. 

ii.  Moses  spake,  and  God  answered  him  by  a  voice.  The 
probable  meaning  of  these  words  is  that  only  the  command- 
ments themselves  [here  printed  in  capitals]  were  heard  from 
the  voice  of  God :  the  rest  was  added  by  Moses  as  explanation. 

ill.  For  the  understanding  of  this  famous  story  certain  points 
must  be  carefully  noted. —  i.  Balaam  is  a  worshipper  of  the 
God  of  Israel,  probably  in  the  region  from  which  Abraham 
originally  came.  In  this  worship  he  is  perfectly  sincere  ;  and 
he  has  the  gift  of  prophecy.  But  prophecy  comes  only  at 
special  times  of  intercourse  with  God :  outside  such  times 
Balaam  is  a  worldly  man,  adapting  himself  to  those  about  him. 
Outsiders  like  Balak  cannot  understand  so  spiritual  a  thing  as 
prophecy,  but  suppose  Balaam's  power  to  be  magic  or  enchant- 
ment :  whom  ^mi  .  .  .  cursest  he  is  cursed :  and  he  sends  mes- 
sengers with  me  rewards  of  divination  (or  magic)  in  their 
hand.  [From  other  parts  of  the  Bible  history  we  learn  that 
worldliness  finally  triumphed  in  Balaam,  he  fell  into  grave  sin 
and  perished.]  —  2.  Page  100.  And  he  took  tip  his  parable,  and 
said.  The  word  parable  is  applied  in  Scripture  to  speech  that 
differs  in  any  way  from  ordinary  speech,  as  when  a  story  is 
substituted  for  discourse,  or  verse  for  prose.  The  verse  of 
Scripture  is  made,  not  by  rhyme  or  number  of  syllables  in  a  line, 
but  by  each  line  having  another  line  (or  even  two)  that  runs 
parallel  with  it.     Prose  would  be:  For  from  the  top  of  the  rocks 

X08 


The    Exodus  8«-  Notes 

/  see  him :  lo,  it  is  a  people  that  dwell  alone.     To  make  this 
verse,  each  clause  is  supported  by  another  similar  clause : 

For  from  the  top  of  the  rocks  I  see  him. 
And  front  the  hills  I  behold  hijn  ; 

Lo,  it  is  a  people  that  dwell  alone, 

And  shall  not  be  reckoned  among  the  nations. 
[For  fuller  information  on  this  subject  see  Biblical  Masterpieces, 
p.  242.]  —  3.  Page  103.  He  zvejtt  not,  as  at  other  times,  to  meet 
with  enchantments,  but  he  set  his  face  tozvard  the  wilderness. 
Balak  wants  Balaam  to  curse  Israel,  believing  his  curse  will  be 
an  enchantment  that  will  wither  them.  Balaam  for  the  sake 
of  pleasing  the  king  desires  to  do  so,  but  only  if  God  will  allow 
him.  Twice,  after  offering  sacrifice,  Balaam  goes  apart  to  hold 
secret  intercourse  with  God :  twice  he  feels  Divine  inspiration 
stirring  him  to  bless  the  people  he  sees  in  the  distance.  When 
Balak  makes  a  third  attempt,  and  takes  the  prophet  to  a  third 
point  of  view,  Balaam  is  hopeless  of  getting  permission  to 
curse  ;  he  does  not  even  go  apart  to  be  alone  with  God,  but, 
where  he  is  standing  with  Balak  and  the  nobles  of  Moab,  turns 
his  face  towards  the  part  of  the  desert  where  the  encampment 
of  Israel  is  visible.  It  so  happens  that  from  this  point  of  view 
the  regular  order  of  Israel's  encampment  becomes  visible  [a 
great  contrast  to  the  rude  hordes  of  desert  Bedouins]  :  this  idea 
of  order  is  the  theme  of  his  next  outpouring,  and  is  compared 
to  valleys,  riverside  gardens,  avenues  of  aloes. — 4.  Page  104. 
Water  shall  floiu  from  his  buckets :  another  comparison  for 
Israel's  future  greatness :  that  of  a  fountain  from  which  different 
streams  run  in  different  directions. 
109 


BIBLE    STORIES 
The  Judges 


Introduction  to  The  Judges 

In  the  third  period  of  the  Bible  history  the  emigration 
of  the  Israelites  had  co7}ie  to  an  end ;  they  entered  the 
Promised  Land,  and  warred  with  the  wicked  nations  who 
possessed  it.  They  did  not  however  drive  them  cut ;  but, 
when  they  had  conquered  enough  land,  settled  dowji  with 
foes  all  around  them. 

Viewed  in  the  light  of  Israel's  mission  as  the  Chosen 
People  of  God  this  period  is  a  transitional  stage  in  their 
history.  Originally^  Israel  was  iinlike  other  nations  in 
that  it  had  no  visible  kifig.  God  was  the  rider  of  Israel: 
and  his  will  was  made  known  to  the  people,  at  first  by 
the  fathers,  and  then  by  Moses,  who  is  termed  a  ''prophet ' 
—  the  word  means  '  interpreter  of  God.''  But  contact  with 
the  natiotis  of  Canaan  produced  in  the  Israelites  a  desire 
for  visible  kings  to  lead  them  i7i  battle.  They  thus  became 
a  divided  people  .*  one  part  longing  for  these  external 
kings,  others  standiiig  for  the  rule  of  the  invisible  God. 
The  first  of  these  parties  grew  the  stronger,  and  in  its 
next  period  we  shall  find  that  Israel  has  a  succession  of 
kings. 

In  this  middle  period  the  govcrntnent  of  Israel  is  de- 
scribed by  the  words,  '■'•  Every  man  did  tJiat  which  was 
1  113 


Introduction  ^  Bible    Stories 

right  in  his  owii  eyes.^''  This  does  not  however  prove  that 
there  ivas  no  rule  of  any  kind.  "  Every  man  "  7mist  be 
understood  as  every  head  of  afafnily,  or  chief  of  a  village ; 
and  the  meaning  is  that  there  was  only  local  or  family 
authority^  ivithout  any  form  of  fiational  governmejit.  But 
from  time  to  time  the  oppression  of  surrounding  foes 
forced  commoji  action  npon  the  tribes  of  Israel.  At  such 
times  there  arose  the  '■fudges^  who  have  given  their  jiame 
to  the  period.  This  word  as  used  in  the  Bible  has  not  its 
modern  meaning:  it  describes  those  who  work  out  some 
act  of  justice  or  deliverance.,  ofteii  by  war  or  violence.  The 
Judges  are  thus  the  '■  heroes '  of  Israels  history.  As  heroes 
a?id  deliverers  these  Judges  were  obeyed  by  the  whole  nation., 
or  large  portions  of  it,  for  a  time ;  and  this  temporary 
or  partial  rule  of  the  Judges  was  thus  a  preparatory 
stage  for  the  coming  period  when  the  whole  nation  was 
governed  by  a  succession  of  regular  kifigs. 

The  first  leader  of  Israel  at  this  time  was  Joshua :  he 
however  is  not  called  a  judge,  but  was  the  assistant  and 
successor  of  the  prophet  Moses.  U?ider  Joshua  the  people 
entered  the  Promised  Land  and  made  their  first  conquests. 
His  achievements  are  here  represented  by  the  stofy  of  the 
Crossing  of  the  Jordan  and  the  Capture  of  the  first  city., 
Jej-icho. 

After  a  time  we  find  Israel  oppressed  by  a  Ca?iaanite 
king  whose  chariots  of  iron  made  him  irresistible  by  a 
nation  of  foot  soldiers.  At  this  crisis  a  woman  rose  up 
114 


The    Judges  S«-  Introduction 

to  be  judge ;  Deborah  not  only  roused  the  people  to  re- 
sistance^ but,  choosing  Barak  as  her  commander-in-chiefs 
herself  niarched  against  Sisera^  and  marvellously  over- 
threw hitn.  This  incident  has  called  forth  a  great  poem 
(which  is  here  given)  —  the  Song  of  Deborah. 

Another  of  our  stories  commejnorates  Gideon  and  his 
wonderful  achievements  against  the  Miiiianites,  a  horde 
of  wandering  peoples  whose  coimtless  numbers  made 
them  almost  irresistible.  In  the  ge7ieral  history  this  rep- 
resents an  important  point',  for  the  people  invited  the 
victorious  Gideon  to  be  their  king:  but  he  was  true  to  the 
principle  that  only  the  Lord  should  reign  over  Israel. 

fephthah,  another  judge,  is  commemorated  by  the  strange 
story  offephthah's  Vow. 

The  chief  foes  of  Israel  were  the  Philistines,  a7id  in 
the  constant  wars  with  these  some  great  champions  arose. 
One  of  these  was  Samson,  whose  name  is  familiar  to  all 
time  as  a  hero  of  vast  strength  ajid  reckless  valour. 
Samso7t's  feats  and  his  strange  death  form  a  succession 
of  stories  which  are  here  given. 

Of  the  judge  Eli  we  only  read  in  his  old  age.  But 
under  him  there  arose  Samuel,  the  greatest  prophet  since 
Moses,  and  founder  of  a  succession  of  prophets  in  the 
period  that  followed.  The  favourite  stories  of  SamueVs 
birth  and  boyhood  are  here  give7i.  It  is  in  his  time  that 
the  desire  of  the  people  for  a  visible  ki7ig  reached  its 
height^  a7td  Sa77iuel  received  the  Divine  co7n7nand  to  give 

US 


Introduction  ^  Bible    Stories 

way  to  it.  Accordingly,  we  have  the  story  of  the  Afioint- 
ing  of  Saul.  But  though  Saul  himself  reigned,  his  74tt- 
worthiness  caused  his  family  to  be  rejected  from  the 
succession  to  the  throne;  and  Samuel  anoifited  David, 
the  first  king  from  whom  Israel  was  to  trace  its  royal 
line.  Said  resented  this  atiointijig  of  his  successor  in 
his  lifetime ;  and  the  final  story  of  this  period  relates 
the  advejitures  of  David  imder  the  persecution  of  Said., 
and  especially  the  friendship  of  David  with  Said's  son., 
fonat/ian.  The  Battle  of  Gilboa  brought  about  the  death 
of  Saul  and  Jonathan,  and  the  accession  of  David  to 
the  throne  of  Israel. 

Ii6 


Stories  from  the  Judges 

i.     The  Passage  of  the  Jordan  and  Siege  of  Jericho 
li.     How  the  wily  Gibeonites  deceived  Joshua 
iii.     War  of  Deborah  and  Barak  against  Sisera 
iv.     Feats  of  Gideon  in  the  Midianite  War 
V.     Jephthah's  Vow 
vi.     Stories  of  Samson 

Samson's  IVeddhig  Feast 
The  Jawbojie  of  an  Ass 
Samson  and  Delilah 
Death  of  Sa^nson 
vii.     The  Old  Man  Eli  and  the  Child  Samuel 
Birth  of  Samuel 

The  Child  Samjtel  called  to  be  a  Prophet 
Loss  of  the  Ark  atid  Death  of  Eli 
Return  of  the  Ark 
viii.     The  Anointing  of  Saul 
ix.     The  Rejection  of  Saul  and  Anointing  of  David 
X.     The  Feud  of  Saul  and  David  and  the  Friendship  of 
David  and  Jonathan 
David  a7id  Goliath 

Hozv  the  Feud  and  the  Friendship  began 
The  Escape  by  Night 

The  Secret  Meeting  of  David  andfonathan 
The  Adventure  of  the  Spear  and  Water-cruse 
The  Battle  of  Gilboa 
117 


The  Passage  of  the  Jordan  and  Siege  of  Jericho 

And  Joshua  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  came 
to  Jordan,  he  and  all  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  they 
lodged  there  before  they  passed  over. 

And  Joshua  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  Come 
hither,  and  hear  the  words  of  the  Lord  your  God.  And 
Joshua  said,  Hereby  ye  shall  know  that  the  living  God 
is  among  you.  Behold,  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord  of  all  the  earth  passeth  over  before  you  into  Jordan. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  the  soles  of  the  feet  of 
the  priests  that  bear  the  ark  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord  of  all 
the  earth,  shall  rest  in  the  waters  of  Jordan,  that  the 
waters  of  Jordan  shall  be  cut  off,  even  the  waters  that 
come  down  from  above ;  and  they  shall  stand  in  one 
heap.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  people  removed 
from  their  tents,  to  pass  over  Jordan,  the  priests  that  bare 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  being  before  the  people ;  and 
when  they  that  bare  the  ark  were  come  unto  Jordan, 
and  the  feet  of  the  priests  that  bare  the  ark  were  dipped 
in  the  brink  of  the  water,  (for  Jordan  overfloweth  all  its 
banks  all  the  time  of  harvest,)  that  the  waters  which 
119 


Joshua  ^   Bible    Stories 

came  down  from  above  stood,  and  rose  up  in  one  heap, 
a  great  way  off:  and  those  that  went  down  toward  the 
sea  were  wholly  cut  off :  and  the  people  passed  over 
right  against  Jericho.  And  the  priests  that  bare  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  stood  firm  on  dry 
ground  in  the  midst  of  Jordan,  and  all  Israel  passed  over 
on  dry  ground,  until  all  the  nation  were  passed  clean  over 
Jordan.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  priests  that  bare 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  were  come  up  out 
of  the  midst  of  Jordan,  and  the  soles  of  the  priests'  feet 
were  lifted  up  unto  the  dry  ground,  that  the  waters  of 
Jordan  returned  unto  their  place,  and  went  over  all  its 
banks,  as  aforetime.  And  the  people  came  up  out  of 
Jordan  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  first  month,  and  encamped 
in  Gilgal,  on  the  east  border  of  Jericho. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Joshua  was  by  Jericho,  that 
he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and,  behold,  there  stood 
a  man  over  against  him  with  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand : 
and  Joshua  went  unto  him,  and  said  unto  him.  Art  thou 
for  us,  or  for  our  adversaries  ?  And  he  said,  Nay  ;  but  as 
captain  of  the  host  of  the  Lord  am  I  now  come.  And 
Joshua  fell  on  his  face  to  the  earth,  and  did  worship, 
and  said  unto  him.  What  saith  my  Lord  unto  his  servant? 
and  the  captain  of  the  Lord's  host  said  unto  Joshua,  Put 
off  thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot ;  for  the  place  whereon  thou 
standest  is  holy.  And  Joshua  did  so.  (Now  Jericho  was 
straitly  shut  up  because  of  the  children  of  Israel:  none 


The    Judges  Q^  Joshua 

went  out,  and  none  came  in.)  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Joshua,  See,  I  have  given  into  thine  hand  Jericho,  and 
the  king  thereof,  and  the  mighty  men  of  valour.  And  ye 
shall  compass  the  city,  all  the  men  of  war,  going  about 
the  city  once.  Thus  shalt  thou  do  six  days.  And  seven 
priests  shall  bear  seven  trumpets  of  rams'  horns  before 
the  ark :  and  the  seventh  day  ye  shall  compass  the  city 
seven  times,  and  the  priests  shall  blow  with  the  trumpets. 
And  it  shall  be,  that  when  they  make  a  long  blast  with 
the  ram's  horn,  and  when  ye  hear  the  sound  of  the  trum- 
pet, all  the  people  shall  shout  with  a  great  shout ;  and  the 
wall  of  the  city  shall  fall  down  flat,  and  the  people  shall  go 
up  every  man  straight  before  him. 

And  Joshua  rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  the  priests 
took  up  the  ark  of  the  Lord.  And  the  seven  priests 
bearing  the  seven  trumpets  of  rams'  horns  before  the  ark 
of  the  Lord  went  on  continually,  and  blew  with  the  trum- 
pets :  and  the  armed  men  went  before  them ;  and  the 
rearward  came  after  the  ark  of  the  Lord,  the  priests 
blowing  with  the  trumpets  as  they  went.  And  the  second 
day  they  compassed  the  city  once,  and  returned  into  the 
camp :  so  they  did  six  days.  And  it  came  to  pass  on 
the  seventh  day,  that  they  rose  early  at  the  dawning  of  the 
day,  and  compassed  the  city  after  the  same  manner  seven 
times :  only  on  that  day  they  compassed  the  city  seven 
times.  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  seventh  time,  when 
the  priests  blew  with  the  trumpets,  Joshua  said  unto  the 


Joshua  ^5   Bible    Stories 

people,  Shout :  for  the  Lord  hath  given  you  the  city. 
So  the  people  shouted,  and  the  priests  blew  with  the 
trumpets :  and  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  people  heard 
the  sound  of  the  tmmpet,  that  the  people  shouted  with 
a  great  shout,  and  the  wall  fell  down  flat,  so  that  the 
people  went  up  into  the  city,  every  man  straight  before 
him,  and  they  took  the  city. 


U 

How  the  wily  Gibeonites  deceived  Joshua 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  inhabitants  of  Gibeon 
heard  what  Joshua  had  done  unto  Jericho  and  to  Ai,  they 
did  work  wilily,  and  went  and  made  as  if  they  had  been 
ambassadors,  and  took  old  sacks  upon  their  asses,  and 
wine-skins,  old  and  rent  and  bound  up ;  and  old  shoes 
and  clouted  upon  their  feet,  and  old  garments  upon  them ; 
and  all  the  bread  of  their  provision  was  dry  and  was 
become  mouldy.  And  they  went  to  Joshua  unto  the  camp 
at  Gilgal,  and  said  unto  him,  and  to  the  men  of  Israel,  We 
are  come  from  a  far  country :  now  therefore  make  ye  a 
covenant  with  us.  And  the  men  of  Israel  said  unto  the 
Hivites,  Peradventure  ye  dwell  among  us ;  and  how  shall 
we  make  a  covenant  with  you?  And  they  said  unto 
Joshua,  We   are   thy  servants.     And  Joshua   said  unto 


The    Judges  ^  Joshua 

them.  Who  are  ye?  and  from  whence  come  ye?  And 
they  said  unto  him,  From  a  very  far  country  thy  servants 
are  come  because  of  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God :  for 
we  have  heard  the  fame  of  him,  and  all  that  he  did  in 
Egypt,  and  all  that  he  did  to  the  two  kings  of  the  Amo- 
rites,  that  were  beyond  Jordan,  to  Sihon  king  of  Heshbon, 
and  to  Og  king  of  Bashan.  And  our  elders  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  our  country  spake  to  us,  saying.  Take  pro- 
vision in  your  hand  for  the  journey,  and  go  to  meet  them, 
and  say  unto  them,  We  are  your  servants  :  and  now  make 
ye  a  covenant  with  us.  This  our  bread  we  took  hot  for 
our  provision  out  of  our  houses  on  the  day  we  came  forth 
to  go  unto  you ;  but  now,  behold,  it  is  dry,  and  is  become 
mouldy  :  and  these  wine-skins,  which  we  filled,  were  new ; 
and,  behold,  they  be  rent :  and  these  our  garments  and  our 
shoes  are  become  old  by  reason  of  the  very  long  journey. 
And  the  men  took  of  their  provision,  and  asked  not  counsel 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Lord.  And  Joshua  made  peace  with 
them,  and  made  a  covenant  with  them,  to  let  them  live : 
and  the  princes  of  the  congregation  svvare  unto  them. 

And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  three  days  after  they 
had  made  a  covenant  with  them,  that  they  heard  that 
they  were  their  neiglibours,  and  that  they  dwelt  among 
them.  And  the  children  of  Israel  journeyed,  and  came 
unto  their  cities  on  the  third  day.  And  the  children  of 
IsraeL  smote  them  not,  because  the  princes  of  the  congre- 
gation had  sworn  unto  them  by  the  Lord,  the  God  of 
123 


Joshua  ^  Bible    Stories 

Israel.  And  ail  the  congregation  murmured  against  the 
princes.  But  all  the  princes  said  unto  all  the  congrega- 
tion, We  have  sworn  unto  them  by  the  Lord,  the  God  of 
Israel :  now  therefore  we  may  not  touch  them.  This  we 
will  do  to  them,  and  let  them  live ;  lest  wrath  be  upon  us, 
because  of  the  oath  which  we  sware  unto  them.  And  the 
princes  said  unto  them.  Let  them  live:  so  they  became 
hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  unto  all  the  con- 
gregation ;  as  the  princes  had  spoken  unto  them.  And 
Joshua  called  for  them,  and  he  spake  unto  them,  saying, 
Wherefore  have  ye  beguiled  us,  saying.  We  are  very  far 
from  you ;  when  ye  dwell  among  us  ?  Now  therefore  ye 
are  cursed,  and  there  shall  never  fail  to  be  of  you  bond- 
men, both  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  for  the 
house  of  my  God.  And  they  answered  Joshua,  and  said, 
Because  it  was  certainly  told  thy  servants,  how  that  the 
Lord  thy  God  commanded  his  servant  Moses  to  give  you 
all  the  land,  and  to  destroy  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land 
from  before  you ;  therefore  we  were  sore  afraid  for  our 
lives  because  of  you,  and  have  done  this  thing.  And  now, 
behold,  we  are  in  thine  hand:  as  it  seemeth  good  and 
right  unto  thee  to  do  unto  us,  do.  And  so  did  he  unto 
them,  and  delivered  them  out  of  the  hand  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  that  they  slew  them  not.  And  Joshua  made 
them  that  day  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  for 
the  congregation,  and  for  the  altar  of  the  Lord,  unto  this 
day,  in  the  place  which  he  should  choose. 
124 


The    Judges  8e-  Deborah 

iii 

War  of  Deborah  and  Barak  against  Sisera 

And  the  children  of  Israel  again  did  that  which  was  evil 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  sold  them  into 
the  hand  of  Jabin  king  of  Canaan,  that  reigned  in  Hazor ; 
the  captain  of  whose  host  was  Sisera.  And  the  children 
of  Israel  cried  unto  the  Lord  :  for  he  had  nine  hundred 
chariots  of  iron ;  and  twenty  years  he  mightily  oppressed 
the  children  of  Israel. 

Now  Deborah,  a  prophetess,  the  wife  of  Lappidoth,  she 
judged  Israel  at  that  time.  And  she  dwelt  under  the  palm 
tree  of  Deborah  in  the  hill  country  of  Ephraim  :  and  the 
children  of  Israel  came  up  to  her  for  judgement.  And  she 
sent  and  called  Barak  the  son  of  Abinoam  out  of  Kedesh- 
naphtali,  and  said  unto  him.  Hath  not  the  Lord,  the  God 
of  Israel,  commanded,  saying,  Go  and  draw  unto  mount 
Tabor,  and  take  with  thee  ten  thousand  men  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Naphtali  and  of  the  children  of  Zebulun?  And  I 
will  draw  unto  thee  to  the  river  Kishon  Sisera,  the  captain 
of  Jabin's  army,  with  his  chariots  and  his  multitude ;  and  I 
will  deliver  him  into  thine  hand.  And  Barak  said  unto  her. 
If  thou  wilt  go  with  me,  then  I  will  go  :  but  if  thou  wilt  not 
go  with  me,  I  will  not  go.  And  she  said,  I  will  surely  go 
125 


Deborah  ^  Bible    Stories 

with  thee :  notwithstanding  the  journey  that  thou  takest 
shall  not  be  for  thine  honour ;  for  the  Lord  shall  sell  Sisera 
into  the  hand  of  a  woman.  And  Deborah  arose,  and  went 
with  Barak  to  Kedesh.  And  Barak  called  Zebulun  and 
Naphtali  together  to  Kedesh  ;  and  there  went  up  ten  thou- 
sand men  at  his  feet :  and  Deborah  went  up  with  him. 

Now  Heber  the  Kenite  had  severed  himself  from  the 
Kenites,  even  from  the  children  of  Hobab  the  brother  in 
law  of  Moses,  and  had  pitched  his  tent  as  far  as  the  oak  in 
Zaanannim,  which  is  by  Kedesh.  And  they  told  Sisera  that 
Barak  the  son  of  Abinoam  was  gone  up  to  mount  Tabor. 
And  Sisera  gathered  together  all  his  chariots,  even  nine 
hundred  chariots  of  iron,  and  all  the  people  that  were  with 
him,  unto  the  river  Kishon.  And  Deborah  said  unto  Barak, 
Up ;  for  this  is  the  day  in  which  the  Lord  hath  delivered 
Sisera  into  thine  hand :  is  not  the  Lord  gone  out  before 
thee?  So  Barak  went  down  from  mount  Tabor,  and  ten 
thousand  men  after  him.  And  the  Lord  discomfited  Sisera, 
and  all  his  chariots,  and  all  his  host,  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword  before  Barak  ;  and  Sisera  lighted  down  from  his  char- 
iot, and  fled  away  on  his  feet.  But  Barak  pursued  after  the 
chariots,  and  after  the  host :  and  all  the  host  of  Sisera  fell 
by  the  edge  of  the  sword  ;  there  was  not  a  man  left. 

Howbeit  Sisera  fled  away  on  his  feet  to  the  tent  of  Jael 

the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite  :  for  there  was  peace  between 

Jabin   the   king  of  Razor  and  the  house   of  Heber  the 

Kenite.     And  Jael  went  out  to  meet  Sisera,  and  said  unto 

126 


The    Judges  6«-  Deborah 

him,  Turn  in,  my  lord,  turn  in  to  me ;  fear  not.  And  he 
turned  in  unto  her  into  the  tent,  and  she  covered  him  with 
a  rug.  And  he  said  unto  her,  Give  me,  I  pray  thee,  a  little 
water  to  drink  ;  for  I  am  thirsty.  And  she  opened  a  bottle 
of  milk,  and  gave  him  drink,  and  covered  him.  And  he 
said  unto  her,  Stand  in  the  door  of  the  tent,  and  it  shall  be, 
when  any  man  doth  come  and  inquire  of  thee,  and  say, 
Is  there  any  man  here?  that  thou  shalt  say,  No.  Then 
Jael,  Heber's  wife,  took  a  tent-pin,  and  took  an  hammer  in 
her  hand,  and  went  softly  unto  him,  and  smote  the  pin 
into  his  temples,  and  it  pierced  through  into  the  ground ; 
for  he  was  in  a  deep  sleep ;  so  he  swooned  and  died. 
And,  behold,  as  Barak  pursued  Sisera,  Jael  came  out  to 
meet  him,  and  said  unto  him,  Come,  and  I  will  shew  thee 
the  man  whom  thou  seekest.  And  he  came  unto  her; 
and,  behold,  Sisera  lay  dead,  and  the  tent-pin  was  in  his 
temples. 

So  God  subdued  on  that  day  Jabin  the  king  of  Canaan 
before  the  children  of  Israel.  Then  sang  Deborah  and 
Barak  on  that  day,  saying : 


Song  of  Deborah 

Men.  For  that  the  leaders  took  the  lead  in  Israel  — 

Women .     For  that  the  people  offered  themselves  willingly — 
All.  Bless  ye  the  LORD. 

127 


Deborah 


-»8  Bible    Stories 


Prelude 

Men.  Hear.  O  ye  kings  — 

Women.     Give  ear,  O  ye  princes  — 
Men.  I.  even  I,  will  sing  unto  the  Lord  — 

IVomen.     I   will   sing  praise  to  the   Lord,  the  God   of 
Israel. 

Ail.  Lord,  when  thou  wentest  forth  out  of  Seir, 

When  thou  marchedst  out  of  the  field  of 
Edom, 
The  earth  trembled,  the  heavens  also  dropped, 

Yea,  the  clouds  dropped  water. 
The  mountains  flowed  down  at  the  presence  of 
the  Lord, 
Even   yon   Sinai   at   the   presence   of    the 
Lord,  the  God  of  Israel. 


I.   The  Desolation 

Men.  In  the  days  of  Shamgar  the  son  of  Anath, 

In  the  days  of  Jael, 
The  highways  were  unoccupied. 

And  the  travellers  walked  through 
byways ; 
The  rulers  ceased  in  Israel, 

They  ceased  — 
128 


The    Judges  8«- 


Deborah 


Women.     Until  that  I,  Deborah,  arose, 

That  I  arose  a  mother  in  Israel. 
They  chose  new  gods  ; 

Then  was  war  in  the  gates  : 
Was  there  a  shield  or  spear  seen 

Among  forty  thousand  in  Israel? 
My  heart  is  toward  the  governors  of  Israel — 
Ye  that  offered  yourselves  willingly  among  the 
people  — 
Bless  ye  the  Lord  ! 
Tell  of  it,  ye  that  ride  on  white  asses. 
Ye  that  sit  on  rich  carpets. 

And  ye  that  walk  by  the  way :  — 
Far  from  the  noise  of  archers^ 

In  the  places  of  drawing  water :  — 
All.  There  shall  they  rehearse  the  righteous  acts  of 

the  Lord, 
Even  the  righteous  acts  of  his  rule  in  Israel. 


Men. 
Women. 

All. 
Men. 


Women. 


2.   The  Muster 

All.  Then  the  people  of  the  Lord  went  down  to  the 

gates  — 
{Meti.         Awake,  awake,  Deborah, 

Awake,  awake,  utter  a  song :  — 
Wo?7ien.     Arise,  Barak, 

And  lead  thy  captivity  captive,  thou  son  of 
Abifioam.) 

K  129 


Deborah 


-^  Bible    Stories 


A/l.  Then  came  down  a  remnant  of  the  nobles, 

The  people  of  the  Lord  came  down  for  me 

against  the  mighty. 
Women.     Out  of  Ephraim  came  down  they  whose  root  is 

in  Amalek  — 
Men.  After  thee,  Benjamin,  among  thy  peoples  — 

Women.     Out  of  Machir  came  down  governors  — 
Men.  And  out  of  Zebulun  they  that  handle  the 

marshal's  staff — 
Wojnen.     And  the  princes  of  Issachar  were  with  Deborah  — 
Men.  As  was  Issachar,  so  was  Barak : 

All.  Into  the  valley  they  rushed  forth  at  his  feet. 

Men.  By  the  watercourses  of  Reuben 

There  were  great  resolves  of  heart. 

Wojnen.     Why  satest  thou  among  the  sheepfolds, 
To  hear  the  pipings  for  the  flocks  .'* 

Men.  At  the  watercourses  of  Reuben 

There  were  great  searchings  of  heart  ! 

Wo7ne7i.     Gilead  abode  beyond  Jordan  — 

Men.  And  Dan,  why  did  he  remain  in  ships?  — 

Wo?nen.     Asher  sat  still  at  the  haven  of  the  sea, 

And  abode  by  his  creeks. 
Men.  Zebulun  was  a  people  that  jeoparded  their  lives 

unto  the  death. 
And  Naphtali  upon  the  high  places  of  the 
field. 

130 


The   Judges  S^- 


Deborah 


Men. 


Women. 


Men. 


Wojnen. 


3.   The  Battle  and  Rout 

The  kings  came  and  fought ; 

Then  fought  the  kings  of  Canaan, 
In  Taanach  by  the  waters  of  Megiddo :  — 

They  took  no  gain  of  money  ! 

They  fought  from  heaven, 

The  stars  in  their  courses  fought  against 
Sisera. 
The  river  Kishon  swept  them  away,  — 

That  ancient  river,  the  river  Kishon  ! 

O  my  soul,  march  on  with  strength  ! 

Then  did  the  horsehoofs  stamp 
By  reason  of  the  pransings. 

The  pransings  of  their  strong  ones. 

Curse  ye  Meroz,  said  the  angel  of  the  Lord, 
Curse  ye  bitterly  the  inhabitants  thereof; 

Because  they  came  not  to  the  help  of  the  Lord, 
To  the   help   of   the    Lord  against  the 
mighty  ! 


4.   The  Retribution 

Men.  Blessed  above  women  shall  Jael  be,  the  wife  of 

Heber  the  Kenite, 
Blessed  shall  she  be  above  women  in  the 
tent! 

131 


Deborah 


^  Bible    Stories 


He  asked  water,  and  she  gave  him  milk ; 

She  brought  him  butter  in  a  lordly  dish. 
She  put  her  hand  to  the  nail, 

And    her    right  hand   to   the  workman's 
hammer ; 
And  with  the  hammer  she  smote  Sisera. 
She  smote  through  his  head, 

Yea,   she   pierced  and  struck   though   his 
temples. 
At  her  feet  he  bowed,  he  fell,  he  lay : 
At  her  feet  he  bowed,  he  fell : 

Where  he  bowed,  there  he  fell  down  dead  ! 


Wojiien. 


Through    the 
cried, 


window  she   looked   forth,   and 


"Why  is  his  chariot  so  long  in  coming? 

Why  tarry  the  wheels  of  his  chariots  ?  " 
Her  wise  ladies  answered  her, 

Yea,  she  returned  answer  to  herself, 
"  Have  they  not  found. 
Have  they  not  divided  the  spoil? 

A  damsel,  two  damsels  to  every  man ; 
To  Sisera  a  spoil  of  divers  colours, 
A  spoil  of  divers  colours  of  embroidery. 

Of  divers  colours  of  embroidery  on  both 
sides,  on  the  necks  of  the  spoil  ! " 
132 


The    Judges  B«^  Gideon 

AIL  So  let  thine  enemies  perish,  O  Lord  : 

But  let  them  that  love  him  be  as  the  sun 
when  he  goeth  forth  in  his  might  ! 


IV 

Feats  of  Gideon  in  the  Midianite  War 

And  the  children  of  Israel  did  that  which  was  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  delivered  them  into  the 
hand  of  Midian  seven  years.  And  because  of  Midian 
the  children  of  Israel  made  them  the  dens  which  are  in 
the  mountains,  and  the  caves,  and  the  strongholds.  And 
so  it  was,  when  Israel  had  sown,  that  the  Midianites  came 
up,  and  the  Amalekites,  and  the  children  of  the  east ;  and 
they  encamped  against  them,  and  destroyed  the  increase 
of  the  earth,  and  left  no  sustenance  in  Israel,  neither  sheep, 
nor  ox,  nor  ass.  For  they  came  up  with  their  cattle  and 
their  tents,  they  came  in  as  locusts  for  multitude;  both 
they  and  their  camels  were  without  number.  And  Israel 
was  brought  very  low  because  of  Midian  ;  and  the  children 
of  Israel  cried  unto  the  Lord. 

And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came,  and  sat  under  the  oak 

which  was  in  Ophrah,  that  pertained  unto  Joash  the  Abi- 

ezrite :  and  his  son  Gideon  was  beating  out  wheat  in  the 

winepress,  to  hide  it  from  the  Midianites.     And  the  angel 

133 


Gideon  ^  Bible    Stories 

of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him,  and  said  unto  him,  The 
Lord  is  with  thee,  thou  mighty  man  of  valour.  And 
Gideon  said  unto  him,  Oh,  my  lord,  if  the  Lord  be  with 
us,  why  then  is  all  this  befallen  us?  and  where  be  all  his 
wondrous  works  which  our  fathers  told  us  of,  saying,  Did 
not  the  Lord  bring  us  up  from  Egypt  ?  but  now  the  Lord 
hath  cast  us  off,  and  delivered  us  into  the  hand  of  ^lidian. 
And  the  Lord  looked  upon  him,  and  said.  Go  in  this  thy 
might,  and  save  Israel  from  the  hand  of  Midian :  have  not 
I  sent  thee?  And  he  said  unto  him.  Oh  Lord,  wherewith 
shall  I  save  Israel?  behold,  my  family  is  the  poorest  in 
Manasseh,  and  I  am  the  least  in  my  father's  house.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Surely  I  will  be  with  thee,  and 
thou  shalt  smite  the  Midianites  as  one  man.  And  he  said 
unto  him,  If  now  I  have  found  grace  in  thy  sight,  then 
shew  me  a  sign  that  it  is  thou  that  talkest  with  me.  De- 
part not  hence,  I  pray  thee,  until  I  come  unto  thee,  and 
bring  forth  my  present,  and  lay  it  before  thee.  And  he 
said,  I  will  tarry  until  thou  come  again.  And  Gideon 
went  in,  and  made  ready  a  kid,  and  unleavened  cakes  of 
meal :  the  flesh  he  put  in  a  basket,  and  he  put  the  broth 
in  a  pot,  and  brought  it  out  unto  him  under  the  oak,  and 
presented  it.  And  the  angel  of  God  said  unto  him.  Take 
the  flesh  and  the  unleavened  cakes,  and  lay  them  upon 
this  rock,  and  pour  out  the  broth.  And  he  did  so.  Then 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  put  forth  the  end  of  the  staff  that 
was  in  his  hand,  and  touched  the  flesh  and  the  unleavened 
134 


The    Judges  B^  Gideon 

cakes ;  and  there  went  up  fire  out  of  the  rock,  and  con- 
sumed the  flesh  and  the  unleavened  cakes ;  and  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  departed  out  of  his  sight.  And  Gideon  saw 
that  he  was  the  angel  of  the  Lord  ;  and  Gideon  said, 
Alas,  O  Lord  God!  forasmuch  as  I  have  seen  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  face  to  face.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him, 
Peace  be  unto  thee  ;  fear  not :  thou  shalt  not  die.  Then 
Gideon  built  an  altar  there  unto  the  Lord. 

Then  all  the  Midianites  and  the  Amalekites  and  the 
children  of  the  east  assembled  themselves  together ;  and 
they  passed  over,  and  pitched  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel. 
But  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Gideon ;  and  he 
blew  a  trumpet ;  and  Abiezer  was  gathered  together  after 
him.  And  he  sent  messengers  throughout  all  Manasseh  ; 
and  they  also  were  gathered  together  after  him :  and  he 
sent  messengers  unto  Asher,  and  unto  Zebulun,  and  unto 
Naphtali ;  and  they  came  up  to  meet  them.  And  Gideon 
said  unto  God,  If  thou  wilt  save  Israel  by  mine  hand,  as 
thou  hast  spoken,  behold,  I  will  put  a  fleece  of  wool  on 
the  threshing-floor;  if  there  be  dew  on  the  fleece  only, 
and  it  be  dry  upon  all  the  ground,  then  shall  I  know  that 
thou  wilt  save  Israel  by  mine  hand,  as  thou  hast  spoken. 
And  it  was  so :  for  he  rose  up  early  on  the  morrow,  and 
pressed  the  fleece  together,  and  wringed  the  dew  out  of 
the  fleece,  a  bowlful  of  water.  And  Gideon  said  unto 
God,  Let  not  thine  anger  be  kindled  against  me,  and  I 
will  speak  but  this  once :  let  me  prove,  I  pray  thee,  but 
135 


Gideon  ^  Bible    Stories 

this  once  with  the  fleece ;  let  it  now  be  dry  only  upon  the 
fleece,  and  upon  all  the  ground  let  there  be  dew.  And 
God  did  so  that  night:  for  it  was  dry  upon  the  fleece 
only,  and  there  was  dew  on  all  the  ground. 

Then  Gideon,  and  all  the  people  that  were  with  him, 
rose  up  early,  and  pitched  beside  the  spring  of  Harod : 
and  the  camp  of  Midian  was  on  the  north  side  of  them,  in 
the  valley. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Gideon,  The  people  that  are 
with  thee  are  too  many  for  me  to  give  the  Midianites  into 
their  hand,  lest  Israel  vaunt  themselves  against  me,  say- 
ing. Mine  own  hand  hath  saved  me.  Now  therefore  go 
to,  proclaim  in  the  ears  of  the  people,  saying.  Whosoever 
is  fearful  and  trembling,  let  him  return  and  depart  from 
mount  Gilead.  And  there  returned  of  the  people  twenty 
and  two  thousand ;  and  there  remained  ten  thousand. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Gideon,  The  people  are  yet 
too  many ;  bring  them  down  unto  the  water,  and  I  will 
try  them  for  thee  there :  and  it  shall  be,  that  of  whom  I 
say  unto  thee.  This  shall  go  with  thee,  the  same  shall  go 
with  thee  ;  and  of  whomsoever  I  say  unto  thee,  This  shall 
not  go  with  thee,  the  same  shall  not  go.  So  he  brought 
down  the  people  unto  the  water :  and  the  Lord  said  unto 
Gideon,  Every  one  that  lappeth  of  the  water  with  his 
tongue,  as  a  dog  lappeth,  him  shalt  thou  set  by  himself; 
likewise  every  one  that  boweth  down  upon  his  knees  to 
drink.  And  the  number  of  them  that  lapped,  putting  their 
136 


The    Judges  B«-  Gideon 

hand  to  their  mouth,  was  three  hundred  men :  but  all  the 
rest  of  the  people  bowed  down  upon  their  knees  to  drink 
water.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Gideon,  By  the  three 
hundred  men  that  lapped  will  I  save  you,  and  deliver  the 
Midianites  into  thine  hand :  and  let  all  the  people  go 
every  man  unto  his  place.  So  the  people  took  victuals 
in  their  hand,  and  their  trumpets  :  and  he  sent  all  the  men 
of  Israel  every  man  unto  his  tent,  but  retained  the  three 
hundred  men.  And  the  camp  of  Midian  was  beneath  him 
in  the  valley. 

And  it  came  to  pass  the  same  night,  that  the  Lord  said 
unto  him.  Arise,  get  thee  down  into  the  camp ;  for  I  have 
delivered  it  into  thine  hand.  But  if  thou  fear  to  go  down, 
go  thou  with  Purah  thy  servant  down  to  the  camp :  and 
thou  shalt  hear  what  they  say ;  and  afterward  shall  thine 
hands  be  strengthened  to  go  down  into  the  camp.  Then 
went  he  down  with  Purah  his  servant  unto  the  outermost 
part  of  the  armed  men  that  were  in  the  camp.  And  the 
Midianites  and  the  Amalekites  and  all  the  children  of  the 
east  lay  along  in  the  valley  like  locusts  for  multitude  ;  and 
their  camels  were  without  number,  as  the  sand  which  is 
upon  the  sea  shore  for  multitude.  And  when  Gideon  was 
come,  behold,  there  was  a  man  that  told  a  dream  unto  his 
fellow,  and  said.  Behold,  I  dreamed  a  dream,  and,  lo,  a 
cake  of  barley  bread  tumbled  into  the  camp  of  Midian, 
and  came  unto  the  tent,  and  smote  it  that  it  fell,  and 
turned  it  upside  down,  that  the  tent  lay  along.  And  his 
137 


Gideon  ^  Bible    Stories 

fellow  answered  and  said,  This  is  nothing  else  save  the 
sword  of  Gideon  the  son  of  Joash,  a  man  of  Israel :  into 
his  hand  God  hath  delivered  Midian,  and  all  the  host. 

And  it  was  so,  when  Gideon  heard  the  telling  of  the 
dream,  and  the  interpretation  thereof,  that  he  worshipped ; 
and  he  returned  into  the  camp  of  Israel,  and  said.  Arise ; 
for  the  Lord  hath  delivered  into  your  hand  the  host  of 
Midian.  And  he  divided  the  three  hundred  men  into 
three  companies,  and  he  put  into  the  hands  of  all  of  them 
trumpets,  and  empty  pitchers,  with  torches  within  the 
pitchers.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Look  on  me,  and  do 
likewise  :  and,  behold,  when  I  come  to  the  outermost  part 
of  the  camp,  it  shall  be  that,  as  I  do,  so  shall  ye  do. 
When  I  blow  the  trumpet,  I  and  all  that  are  with  me, 
then  blow  ye  the  trumpets  also  on  every  side  of  all  the 
camp,  and  say,  For  the  Lord  and  for  Gideon. 

So  Gideon,  and  the  hundred  men  that  were  with  him, 
came  unto  the  outermost  part  of  the  camp  in  the  beginning 
of  the  middle  watch,  when  they  had  but  newly  set  the 
watch :  and  they  blew  the  trumpets,  and  brake  in  pieces 
the  pitchers  that  were  in  their  hands.  And  the  three  com- 
panies blew  the  trumpets,  and  brake  the  pitchers,  and 
held  the  torches  in  their  left  hands,  and  the  trumpets  in 
their  right  hands  to  blow  withal :  and  they  cried,  The 
sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon.  And  they  stood  every 
man  in  his  place  round  about  the  camp :  and  all  the  host 
ran  ;  and  they  shouted,  and  put  them  to  flight.  And  they 
138 


The    Judges  S«-  Jephthah 

blew  the  three  hundred  trumpets,  and  the  Lord  set  every 
man's  sword  against  his  fellow,  and  against  all  the  host : 
and  the  host  tied.  And  Gideon  took  the  two  kings  of 
Midian,  Zebah  and  Zalmunna,  and  discomfited  ail  the 
host. 

Then  the  men  of  Israel  said  unto  Gideon,  Rule  thou 
over  us,  both  thou,  and  thy  son,  and  thy  son's  son  also : 
for  thou  hast  saved  us  out  of  the  hand  of  Midian.  And 
Gideon  said  unto  them,  I  will  not  rule  over  you,  neither 
shall  my  son  rule  over  you  :   the  Lord  shall  rule  over  you. 

So  Midian  was  subdued  before  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  they  lifted  up  their  heads  no  more. 


Jephthah's  Vow 

Now  Jephthah  the  Gileadite  was  a  mighty  man  of  valour. 
And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  children  of  Amnion  made  war 
against  Israel.  And  it  was  so,  that,  when  the  children  of 
Ammon  made  war  against  Israel,  the  elders  of  Gilead  went 
to  fetch  Jephthah  out  of  the  land  of  Tob :  and  they  said 
unto  Jephthah,  Come  and  be  our  chief,  that  we  may  fight 
with  the  children  of  Ammon.  And  Jephthah  said  unto  the 
elders  of  Gilead,  Did  not  ye  hate  me,  and  drive  me  out  of 
my  father's  house  ?  and  why  are  ye  come  unto  me  now  when 
139 


Jephthah  -^  Bible  Stones 

ye  are  in  distress  ?  And  the  elders  of  Gilead  said  unto 
Jephthah,  Therefore  are  we  turned  again  to  thee  now,  that 
thou  mayest  go  with  us,  and  fight  with  the  children  of 
Ammon,  and  thou  shalt  be  our  head  over  all  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Gilead.  And  Jephthah  said  unto  the  elders  of 
Gilead,  If  ye  bring  me  home  again  to  fight  with  the  children 
of  Ammon,  and  the  Lord  deliver  them  before  me,  shall  I 
be  your  head  ?  And  the  elders  of  Gilead  said  unto  Jeph- 
thah, The  Lord  shall  be  witness  between  us ;  surely  ac- 
cording to  thy  word  so  will  we  do.  Then  Jephthah  went 
with  the  elders  of  Gilead,  and  the  people  made  him  head 
and  chief  over  them. 

Then  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Jephthah,  and 
he  passed  over  unto  the  children  of  Ammon.  And  Jeph- 
thah vowed  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  and  said.  If  thou  wilt 
indeed  deliver  the  children  of  Ammon  into  mine  hand, 
then  it  shall  be,  that  whatsoever  cometh  forth  of  the  doors 
of  my  house  to  meet  me,  when  I  return  in  peace  from  the 
children  of  Ammon,  it  shall  be  the  Lord's,  and  I  will  offer 
it  up  for  a  burnt  offering.  So  Jephthah  passed  over  unto 
the  children  of  Ammon  to  fight  against  them  ;  and  the 
Lord  delivered  them  into  his  hand.  And  he  smote  them 
with  a  very  great  slaughter.  So  the  children  of  Ammon 
were  subdued  before  the  children  of  Israel. 

And  Jephthah  came  to  Alizpah  unto  his  house,  and, 
behold,  his  daughter  came  out  to  meet  him  with  timbrels 
and  with  dances  :  and  she  was  his  only  child  ;  beside  her 
140 


The    Judges  B^  Jephthah 

he  had  neither  son  nor  daughter.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  he  saw  her,  that  he  rent  his  clothes,  and  said,  Alas, 
my  daughter !  thou  hast  brought  me  very  low,  and  thou 
art  one  of  them  that  trouble  me :  for  I  have  opened  my 
mouth  unto  the  Lord,  and  I  cannot  go  back.  And  she  said 
unto  him,  My  father,  thou  hast  opened  thy  mouth  unto  the 
Lord  ;  do  unto  me  according  to  that  which  hath  proceeded 
out  of  thy  mouth  ;  forasmuch  as  the  Lord  hath  taken  ven- 
geance for  thee  of  thine  enemies,  even  of  the  children  of 
Ammon.  And  she  said  unto  her  father.  Let  this  thing  be 
done  for  me :  let  me  alone  two  months,  that  I  may  depart 
and  go  down  upon  the  mountains,  and  bewail  my  virginity, 
I  and  my  companions.  And  he  said,  Go.  And  he  sent 
her  away  for  two  months  :  and  she  departed,  she  and  her 
companions,  and  bewailed  her  virginity  upon  the  moun- 
tains. And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  two  months,  that 
she  returned  unto  her  father,  who  did  with  her  according 
to  his  vow  which  he  had  vowed.  And  it  was  a  custom  in 
Israel,  that  the  daughters  of  Israel  went  yearly  to  celebrate 
the  daughter  of  Jephthah  the  Gileadite  four  days  in  a 
year. 

141 


Samson  ^  Bible    Stories 

vi 

Stories  of  Samson 

Samsojis  Wedding  Feast 

And  Samson  went  down  to  Timnah,  and  saw  a  woman 
in  Timnah  of  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines.  And  he 
came  up,  and  told  his  father  and  his  mother,  and  said,  I 
have  seen  a  woman  in  Timnah  of  the  daughters  of  the 
Philistines  :  now  therefore  get  her  for  me  to  wife.  Then 
his  father  and  his  mother  said  unto  him.  Is  there  never  a 
woman  among  the  daughters  of  thy  brethren,  or  among  all 
my  people,  that  thou  goest  to  take  a  wife  of  the  Philis- 
tines ?  And  Samson  said  unto  his  father,  Get  her  for 
me ;  for  she  pleaseth  me  well.  But  his  father  and  his 
mother  knew  not  that  it  was  of  the  Lord  ;  for  he  sought 
an  occasion  against  the  Philistines.  Now  at  that  time  the 
Philistines  had  rule  over  Israel.  Then  went  Samson 
down,  and  his  father  and  his  mother,  to  Timnah,  and  came 
to  the  vineyards  of  Timnah  :  and,  behold,  a  young  lion 
roared  against  him.  And  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
mightily  upon  him,  and  he  rent  him  as  he  would  have  rent 
a  kid,  and  he  had  nothing  in  his  hand :  but  he  told  not 
his  father  or  his  mother  what  he  had  done.  And  he  went 
down  and  talked  with  the  woman ;  and  she  pleased  Sam- 
142 


The    Judges  S«-  Samson 

son  well.  And  after  a  while  he  returned  to  take  her,  and 
he  turned  aside  to  see  the  carcase  of  the  lion :  and,  be- 
hold, there  was  a  swarm  of  bees  in  the  body  of  the  lion, 
and  honey.  And  he  took  it  into  his  hands,  and  went  on, 
eating  as  he  went,  and  he  came  to  his  father  and  mother, 
and  gave  unto  them,  and  they  did  eat :  but  he  told  them 
not  that  he  had  taken  the  honey  out  of  the  body  of  the  lion. 
And  his  father  went  down  unto  the  woman  :  and  Samson 
made  there  a  feast:  for  so  used  the  young  men  to  do. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  saw  him,  that  they  brought 
thirty  companions  to  be  with  him.  And  Samson  said  unto 
them,  Let  me  now  put  forth  a  riddle  unto  you :  if  ye  can 
declare  it  me  within  the  seven  days  of  the  feast,  and  find 
it  out,  then  I  will  give  you  thirty  linen  garments  and  thirty 
changes  of  raiment :  but  if  ye  cannot  declare  it  me,  then 
shall  ye  give  me  thirty  linen  garments  and  thirty  changes 
of  raiment.  And  they  said  unto  him.  Put  forth  thy  riddle, 
that  we  may  hear  it.     And  he  said  unto  them, 

Out  of  the  eater  came  forth  meat. 

And  out  of  the  strong  came  forth  sweetness. 

And  they  could  not  in  three  days  declare  the  riddle.  And 
it  came  to  pass  on  the  seventh  day,  that  they  said  unto 
Samson's  wife.  Entice  thy  husband,  that  he  may  declare 
unto  us  the  riddle,  lest  we  burn  thee  and  thy  father's  house 
with  fire :  have  ye  called  us  to  impoverish  us  ?  is  it  not 
so  ?  And  Samson's  wife  wept  before  him,  and  said,  Thou 
143 


Samson  ^  Bible    Stories 

dost  but  hate  me,  and  lovest  me  not :  thou  hast  put  forth 
a  riddle  unto  the  children  of  my  people,  and  hast  not  told 
it  me.  And  he  said  unto  her,  Behold,  I  have  not  told  it 
my  father  nor  my  mother,  and  shall  I  tell  thee  ?  And  she 
wept  before  him  the  seven  days,  while  their  feast  lasted : 
and  it  came  to  pass  on  the  seventh  day,  that  he  told  her, 
because  she  pressed  him  sore :  and  she  told  the  riddle  to 
the  children  of  her  people.  And  the  men  of  the  city  said 
unto  him  on  the  seventh  day  before  the  sun  went  down : 

What  is  sweeter  than  honey  ? 
And  what  is  stronger  than  a  lion  ? 

And  he  said  unto  them  : 

If  ye  had  not  plowed  v/ith  my  heifer, 
Ye  had  not  found  out  my  riddle. 

And  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  came  mightily  upon  him,  and 
he  went  down  to  Ashkelon,  and  smote  thirty  men  of  them, 
and  took  their  spoil,  and  gave  the  changes  of  raiment  unto 
them  that  declared  the  riddle.  And  his  anger  was  kindled, 
and  he  went  up  to  his  father's  house.  But  Samson's  wife 
was  given  to  his  companion,  whom  he  had  used  as  his 
friend. 

The  Jawbone  of  an  Ass 

The  Philistines  went  up,  and  pitched   in   Judah,  and 
spread  themselves  in  Lehi.     And  the  men  of  Judah  said, 
144 


The    Judges  8^  Samson 

Why  are  ye  come  up  against  us  ?  And  they  said,  To  bind 
Samson  are  we  come  up,  to  do  to  him  as  he  hath  done  to 
us.  Then  three  thousand  men  of  Judah  went  down  to  the 
cleft  of  the  rock  of  Etam,  and  said  to  Samson,  Knowest 
thou  not  that  the  PhiHstines  are  rulers  over  us  ?  what  then 
is  this  that  thou  hast  done  unto  us?  And  he  said  unto 
them,  As  they  did  unto  me,  so  have  I  done  unto  them. 
And  they  said  unto  him,  We  are  come  down  to  bind  thee, 
that  we  may  deliver  thee  into  the  hand  of  the  Philistines. 
And  Samson  said  unto  them.  Swear  unto  me,  that  ye  will 
not  fall  upon  me  yourselves.  And  they  spake  unto  him, 
saying.  No ;  but  we  will  bind  thee  fast,  and  deliver  thee 
into  their  hand:  but  surely  we  will  not  kill  thee.  And 
they  bound  him  with  two  new  ropes,  and  brought  him  up 
from  the  rock.  When  he  came  unto  Lehi,  the  Philistines 
shouted  as  they  met  him :  and  the  spirit  of  the  Lord 
came  mightily  upon  him,  and  the  ropes  that  were  upon  his 
arms  became  as  flax  that  was  burnt  with  fire,  and  his  bands 
dropped  from  off  his  hands.  And  he  found  a  new  jawbone 
of  an  ass,  and  put  forth  his  hand,  and  took  it,  and  smote  a 
thousand  men  therewith.     And  Samson  said, 

With  the  jawbone  of  an  ass,  heaps  upon  heaps. 
With  the  jawbone  of  an  ass  have  I  smitten  a  thou- 
sand men. 
L  I4S 


Samson  -^  Bible    Stories 

Sams 071  a?id  Delilah 

And  it  came  to  pass  afterward,  that  he  loved  a  woman 
in  the  valley  of  Sorek,  whose  name  was  Delilah.  And  the 
lords  of  the  Philistines  came  up  unto  her,  and  said  unto 
her,  Entice  him,  and  see  wherein  his  great  strength  lieth, 
and  by  what  means  we  may  prevail  against  him,  that  we 
may  bind  him  to  afflict  him:  and  we  will  give  thee  every 
one  of  us  eleven  hundred  pieces  of  silver.  And  Delilah 
said  to  Samson,  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  wherein  thy  great 
strength  lieth,  and  wherewith  thou  mightest  be  bound  to 
afflict  thee.  And  Samson  said  unto  her,  If  they  bind  me 
with  seven  green  withes  that  were  never  dried,  then  shall 
I  become  weak,  and  be  as  another  man.  Then  the  lords 
of  the  Philistines  brought  up  to  her  seven  green  withes 
which  had  not  been  dried,  and  she  bound  him  with  them. 
Now  she  had  liers  in  wait  abiding  in  the  inner  chamber. 
And  she  said  unto  him,  The  Philistines  be  upon  thee,  Sam- 
son. And  he  brake  the  withes,  as  a  string  of  tow  is  broken 
when  it  toucheth  the  fire.  So  his  strength  was  not  known. 
And  Delilah  said  unto  Samson,  Behold,  thou  hast  mocked 
me,  and  told  me  lies  :  now  tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  wherewith 
thou  mightest  be  bound.  And  he  said  unto  her,  If  they 
only  bind  me  with  new  ropes  wherewith  no  work  hath  been 
done,  then  shall  I  become  weak,  and  be  as  another  man. 
So  Delilah  took  new  ropes,  and  bound  him  therewith,  and 
said  unto  him.  The  Philistines  be  upon  thee,  Samson. 
146 


The    Judges  B«-  Samson 

And  the  Hers  in  wait  were  abiding  in  the  inner  chamber. 
And  he  brake  them  from  off  his  arms  like  a  thread.  And 
DeUlah  said  unto  Samson,  Hitherto  thou  hast  mocked  me, 
and  told  me  lies :  tell  me  wherewith  thou  mightest  be 
bound.  And  he  said  unto  her,  If  thou  weavest  the  seven 
locks  of  my  head  with  the  web.  And  she  fastened  it  with 
the  pin,  and  said  unto  him.  The  Philistines  be  upon  thee, 
Samson.  And  he  awaked  out  of  his  sleep,  and  plucked 
away  the  pin  of  the  beam,  and  the  web.  And  she  said 
unto  him.  How  canst  thou  say,  I  love  thee,  when  thine 
heart  is  not  with  me?  thou  hast  mocked  me  these  three 
times,  and  hast  not  told  me  wherein  thy  great  strength 
lieth.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  she  pressed  him  daily 
with  her  words,  and  urged  him,  that  his  soul  was  vexed 
unto  death.  And  he  told  her  all  his  heart,  and  said  unto 
her.  There  hath  not  come  a  razor  upon  mine  head ;  for  I 
have  been  a  Nazirite  unto  God  from  my  mother's  womb : 
if  I  be  shaven,  then  my  strength  will  go  from  me,  and  I 
shall  become  weak,  and  be  like  any  other  man.  And 
when  Delilah  saw  that  he  had  told  her  all  his  heart,  she 
sent  and  called  for  the  lords  of  the  Philistines,  saying, 
Come  up  this  once,  for  he  hath  told  me  all  his  heart. 
Then  the  lords  of  the  Philistines  came  up  unto  her,  and 
brought  the  money  in  their  hand.  And  she  made  him 
sleep  upon  her  knees ;  and  she  called  for  a  man,  and 
shaved  off  the  seven  locks  of  his  head ;  and  she  began  to 
afflict  him,  and  his  strength  went  from  him.  And  she 
147 


Samson  ^  Bible    Stories 

said,  The  Philistines  be  upon  thee,  Samson.  And  he 
awoke  out  of  his  sleep,  and  said,  I  will  go  out  as  at  other 
times,  and  shake  myself.  But  he  wist  not  that  the  Lord 
was  departed  from  him.  And  the  Philistines  laid  hold  on 
him,  and  put  out  his  eyes  ;  and  they  brought  him  down  to 
Gaza,  and  bound  him  with  fetters  of  brass ;  and  he  did 
grind  in  the  prison  house.  Howbeit  the  hair  of  his  head 
began  to  grow  again  after  he  was  shaven. 

Death  of  Samson 

And  the  lords  of  the  Philistines  gathered  them  together 
for  to  oifer  a  great  sacrifice  unto  Dagon  their  god,  and  to 
rejoice  :  for  they  said.  Our  god  hath  delivered  Samson  our 
enemy  into  our  hand.  And  when  the  people  saw  him, 
they  praised  their  god :  for  they  said,  Our  god  hath  de- 
livered into  our  hand  our  enemy,  and  the  destroyer  of  our 
country,  which  hath  slain  many  of  us.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  their  hearts  were  merry,  that  they  said,  Call 
for  Samson,  that  he  may  make  us  sport.  And  they  called 
for  Samson  out  of  the  prison  house ;  and  he  made  sport 
before  them  :  and  they  set  him  between  the  pillars.  And 
Samson  said  unto  the  lad  that  held  him  by  the  hand.  Suf- 
fer me  that  I  may  feel  the  pillars  v\'hereupon  the  house 
resteth,  that  I  may  lean  upon  them.  Now  the  house  was 
full  of  men  and  women ;  and  all  the  lords  of  the  Philistines 
were  there ;  and  there  were  upon  the  roof  about  three 
148 


The    Judges  Q^  '  Samuel 

thousand  men  and  women,  that  beheld  while  Sanison 
made  sport.  And  Samson  called  unto  the  Lord,  and 
said,  O  Lord  God,  remember  me,  I  pray  thee,  and 
strengthen  me,  I  pray  thee,  only  this  once,  O  God,  that  I 
may  be  avenged  of  the  Philistines  for  one  of  my  two  eyes. 
And  Samson  took  hold  of  the  two  middle  pillars  upon 
which  the  house  rested,  and  leaned  upon  them,  the  one 
with  his  right  hand,  and  the  other  with  his  left.  And 
Samson  said.  Let  me  die  with  the  Philistines.  And  he 
bowed  himself  with  all  his  might ;  and  the  house  fell  upon 
the  lords,  and  upon  all  the  people  that  were  therein.  So 
the  dead  which  he  slew  at  his  death  were  more  than  they 
which  he  slew  in  his  life.  Then  his  brethren  and  all  the 
house  of  his  father  came  down,  and  took  him,  and  brought 
him  up,  and  buried  him  in  the  burying-place  of  Manoah 
his  father. 

vii 

The  Old  Man  Eli  and  the  Child  Samuel 

Bz'ri^  of  Samuel 

Now  there  was  a  certain  man   of  the  hill   country  of 

Ephraim,  and   he  had  two  wives ;  the  name  of  the  one 

was  Hannah,  and  the  name  of  the  other  Peninnah :  and 

Peninnah   had   children,   but   Hannah   had   no   children. 

149 


Samuel  ^  Bible    Stories 

And  this  man  went  up  out  of  his  city  from  year  to  year  to 
worship  and  to  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  of  hosts  in  Shiloh. 
Now  Eli  the  priest  sat  upon  his  seat  by  the  door  post 
of  the  temple  of  the  Lord.  And  Hannah  was  in  bitter- 
ness of  soul,  and  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  and  wept  sore. 
And  she  vowed  a  vow,  and  said,  O  Lord  of  hosts,  if  thou 
wilt  indeed  look  on  the  affliction  of  thine  handmaid,  and 
remember  me,  and  not  forget  thine  handmaid,  but  wilt 
give  unto  thine  handmaid  a  man  child,  then  I  will  give 
him  unto  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  his  life,  and  there 
shall  no  razor  come  upon  his  head.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  as  she  continued  praying  before  the  Lord,  that 
Eli  marked  her  mouth.  Now  Hannah,  she  spake  in  her 
heart ;  only  her  lips  moved,  but  her  voice  was  not  heard : 
therefore  Eli  thought  she  had  been  drunken.  And  Eli 
said  unto  her,  How  long  wilt  thou  be  drunken?  put  away 
thy  wine  from  thee.  And  Hannah  answered  and  said, 
No,  my  lord,  I  am  a  woman  of  a  sorrowful  spirit :  I  have 
drunk  neither  wine  nor  strong  drink,  but  I  poured  out 
my  soul  before  the  Lord.  Count  not  thine  handm.aid 
for  a  daughter  of  Belial :  for  out  of  the  abundance  of 
my  complaint  and  my  provocation  have  I  spoken  hitherto. 
Then  Eli  answered  and  said.  Go  in  peace :  and  the  God 
of  Israel  grant  thy  petition  that  thou  hast  asked  of  him. 
And  she  said.  Let  thy  servant  find  grace  in  thy  sight.  So 
the  woman  went  her  way,  and  did  eat,  and  her  counte- 
nance was  no  more  sad. 

150 


The    Judges  B^  Samuel 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  time  was  come  about,  that 
Hannah  bare  a  son ;  and  she  called  his  name  '  Samuel,' 
saying,  Because  I  have  '  asked  him  of  the  Lord.'  And 
when  she  had  weaned  him,  she  took  him  up  with  her, 
with  three  bullocks,  and  one  ephah  of  meal,  and  a  bottle 
of  wine,  and  brought  him  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord  in 
Shiloh.  And  they  slew  the  bullock,  and  brought  the 
child  to  Eli.  And  she  said.  Oh  my  lord,  as  thy  soul 
liveth,  my  lord,  I  am  the  woman  that  stood  by  thee  here, 
praying  unto  the  Lord.  For  this  child  I  prayed ;  and 
the  Lord  hath  given  me  my  petition  which  I  asked  of 
him :  therefore  I  also  have  granted  him  to  the  Lord  ; 
as  long  as  he  liveth  he  is  granted  to  the  Lord.  And  he 
worshipped  the  Lord  there. 

T/ie  Child  Samuel  called  to  be  a  Prophet 

And  the  child  Samuel  ministered  unto  the  Lord  before 
Eli.  And  the  word  of  the  Lord  was  precious  in  those 
days ;  there  was  no  open  vision.  And  it  came  to  pass 
at  that  time,  when  Eli  was  laid  down  in  his  place,  (now 
his  eyes  had  begun  to  wax  dim,  that  he  could  not  see,) 
and  the  lamp  of  God  was  not  yet  gone  out,  and  Samuel 
was  laid  down  to  sleep,  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  where 
the  ark  of  God  was ;  that  the  Lord  called  Samuel :  and 
he  said.  Here  am  L  And  he  ran  unto  Eli,  and  said.  Here 
am  I ;  for  thou  calledst  me.  And  he  said,  I  called  not ; 
151 


Samuel  ^  Bible    Stories 

lie  down  again.  And  he  went  and  lay  down.  And  the 
Lord  called  yet  again,  Samuel.  And  Samuel  arose  and 
went  to  Eli,  and  said,  Here  am  I ;  for  thou  calledst  me. 
And  he  answered,  I  called  not,  my  son ;  lie  down  again. 
Now  Samuel  did  not  yet  know  the  Lord,  neither  was 
the  word  of  the  Lord  yet  revealed  unto  him.  And  the 
Lord  called  Samuel  again  the  third  time.  And  he  arose 
and  went  to  Eli,  and  said.  Here  am  I ;  for  thou  calledst 
me.  And  Eli  perceived  that  the  Lord  had  called  the 
child.  Therefore  Eli  said  unto  Samuel,  Go,  lie  dow^n : 
and  it  shall  be,  if  he  call  thee,  that  thou  shalt  say,  Speak, 
Lord  ;  for  thy  servant  heareth.  So  Samuel  went  and 
lay  down  in  his  place.  And  the  Lord  came,  and  stood, 
and  called  as  at  other  times,  Samuel,  Samuel.  Then 
Samuel  said.  Speak;  for  thy  servant  heareth.  And  the 
Lord  said  to  Samuel,  Behold,  I  will  do  a  thing  in  Israel, 
at  which  both  the  ears  of  every  one  that  heareth  it  shall 
tingle.  In  that  day  I  will  perform  against  Eli  all  that 
I  have  spoken  concerning  his  house,  from  the  beginning 
even  unto  the  end.  For  I  have  told  him  that  I  will  judge 
his  house  for  ever,  for  the  iniquity  which  he  knew,  be- 
cause his  sons  did  bring  a  curse  upon  themselves,  and 
he  restrained  them  not.  And  Samuel  lay  until  the  morn- 
ing, and  opened  the  doors  of  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
And  Samuel  feared  to  shew  Eli  the  vision.  Then  Eli 
called  Samuel,  and  said,  Samuel,  my  son.  And  he  said. 
Here  am  I.     And    he  said.  What  is  the  thing  that   the 


The    Judges  ^  Samuel 

Lord  hath  spoken  unto  thee?  I  pray  thee  hide  it  not 
from  me :  God  do  so  to  thee,  and  more  also,  if  thou  hide 
any  thing  from  me  of  all  the  things  that  he  spake  unto 
thee.  And  Samuel  told  him  every  whit,  and  hid  nothing 
from  him.  And  he  said.  It  is  the  Lord:  let  him  do 
what  seemeth  him  good. 

And  Samuel  grew,  and  the  Lord  was  with  him,  and 
did  let  none  of  his  words  fall  to  the  ground.  And  all 
Israel  from  Dan  even  to  Beer-sheba  knew  that  Samuel 
was  established  to  be  a  prophet  of  the  Lord. 

Loss  of  the  Ark  and  Death  of  Eli 

Now  Israel  went  out  against  the  Philistines  to  battle,  and 
pitched  beside  Eben-ezer :  and  the  Philistines  pitched  in 
Aphek.  And  the  Philistines  put  themselves  in  array 
against  Israel :  and  when  they  joined  battle,  Israel  was 
smitten  before  the  Philistines  :  and  they  slew  of  the  army 
in  the  field  about  four  thousand  men.  And  when  the 
people  were  come  into  the  camp,  the  elders  of  Israel  said, 
Wherefore  hath  the  Lord  smitten  us  today  before  the 
Philistines?  Let  us  fetch  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord  out  of  Shiloh  unto  us,  that  it  may  come  among  us, 
and  save  us  out  of  the  hand  of  our  enemies.  So  the  peo- 
ple sent  to  Shiloh,  and  they  brought  from  thence  the  ark 
of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  which  sitteth  upon 
the  cherubim :  and  the  two  sons  of  Eli,  Hophni  and 
153 


Samuel  -^  Bible    Stories 

Phinehas,  were  there  with  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
God.  And  when  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord 
came  into  the  camp,  all  Israel  shouted  with  a  great  shout, 
so  that  the  earth  rang  again.  And  when  the  Philistines 
heard  the  noise  of  the  shout,  they  said,  What  meaneth 
the  noise  of  this  great  shout  in  the  camp  of  the  Hebrews? 
And  they  understood  that  the  ark  of  the  Lord  was  come 
into  the  camp.  And  the  Philistines  were  afraid,  for  they 
said,  God  is  come  into  the  camp.  And  they  said,  Woe 
unto  us!  for  there  hath  not  been  such  a  thing  heretofore. 
Woe  unto  us!  who  shall  deliver  us  out  of  the  hand  of 
these  mighty  gods?  these  are  the  gods  that  smote  the 
Egyptians  with  all  manner  of  plagues  in  the  wilderness. 
Be  strong,  and  quit  yourselves  like  men,  O  ye  Philistines, 
that  ye  be  not  servants  unto  the  Hebrews,  as  they  have 
been  to  you:"  quit  yourselves  like  men,  and  fight.  And 
the  Philistines  fought,  and  Israel  was  smitten,  and  they 
fled  every  man  to  his  tent:  and  there  was  a  very  great 
slaughter;  for  there  fell  of  Israel  thirty  thousand  foot- 
men. And  the  ark  of  God  was  taken ;  and  the  two  sons 
of  Eli,  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  were  slain.  And  there 
ran  a  man  of  Benjamin  out  of  the  army,  and  came  to 
Shiloh  the  same  day  with  his  clothes  rent,  and  with  earth 
upon  his  head.  And  when  he  came,  lo,  Eli  sat  upon  his 
seat  by  the  way  side  watching :  for  his  heart  trembled  for 
the  ark  of  God.  And  when  the  man  came  into  the  city, 
and  told  it,  all  the  city  cried  out.  And  when  Eli  heard 
154 


The    Judges  ^  Samuel 

the  noise  of  the  crying,  he  said,  What  meaneth  the  noise 
of  this  tumuh  ?  And  the  man  hasted,  and  came  and  told 
Eli.  Now  Eli  was  ninety  and  eight  years  old ;  and  his 
eyes  were  set,  that  he  could  not  see.  And  the  man  said 
unto  Eli,  I  am  he  that  came  out  of  the  army,  and  I  fled 
today  out  of  the  army.  And  he  said,  How  went  the 
matter,  my  son?  And  he  that  brought  the  tidings  an- 
swered and  said,  Israel  is  fled  before  the  Philistines,  and 
there  hath  been  also  a  great  slaughter  among  the  people, 
and  thy  two  sons  also,  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  are  dead, 
and  the  ark  of  God  is  taken.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
he  made  mention  of  the  ark  of  God,  that  he  fell  from  off 
his  seat  backward  by  the  side  of  the  gate,  and  his  neck 
brake,  and  he  died :  for  he  was  an  old  man,  and  heavy. 
And  he  had  judged  Israel  forty  years. 

T/ie  Retiirfi  of  the  Ark 

Now  the  Philistines  had  taken  the  ark  of  God,  and  they 
brought  it  from  Eben-ezer  unto  Ashdod.  And  the  Philis- 
tines took  the  ark  of  God,  and  brought  it  into  the  house 
of  Dagon,  and  set  it  by  Dagon.  And  when  they  of  Ashdod 
arose  early  on  the  morrow,  behold,  Dagon  was  fallen  upon 
his  face  to  the  ground  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord.  And 
they  took  Dagon,  and  set  him  in  his  place  again.  And 
when  they  arose  early  on  the  morrow  morning,  behold, 
Dagon  was  fallen  upon  his  face  to  the  ground  before  the 
155 


Samuel  -*6  Bible    Stories 

ark  of  the  Lord  ;  and  the  head  of  Dagon  and  both  the 
palms  of  his  hands  lay  cut  off  upon  the  threshold ;  only 
the  stump  of  Dagon  was  left  to  him.  Therefore  neither 
the  priests  of  Dagon,  nor  any  that  come  into  Dagon's 
house,  tread  on  the  threshold  of  Dagon  in  Ashdod,  unto 
this  day. 

But  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  heavy  upon  them  of 
Ashdod,  and  he  destroyed  them,  and  smote  them  with 
tumours,  even  Ashdod  and  the  borders  thereof.  And 
when  the  men  of  Ashdod  saw  that  it  was  so,  they  said, 
The  ark  of  the  God  of  Israel  shall  not  abide  with  us :  for 
his  hand  is  sore  upon  us,  and  upon  Dagon  our  god. 
They  sent  therefore  and  gathered  all  the  lords  of  the 
Philistines  unto  them,  and  said,  What  shall  we  do  with 
the  ark  of  the  God  of  Israel?  And  they  answered.  Let 
the  ark  of  the  God  of  Israel  be  carried  about  unto  Gath. 
And  they  carried  the  ark  of  the  God  of  Israel  about 
thither.  And  it  was  so,  that,  after  they  had  carried  it 
about,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  against  the  city  with 
a  very  great  discomfiture :  and  he  smote  the  men  of  the 
city,  both  small  and  great,  and  tumours  brake  out  upon 
them.  So  they  sent  the  ark  of  God  to  Ekron.  And  it 
came  to  pass,  as  the  ark  of  God  came  to  Ekron,  that  the 
Ekronites  cried  out,  saying,  They  have  brought  about  the 
ark  of  the  God  of  Israel  to  us,  to  slay  us  and  our  people. 
They  sent  therefore  and  gathered  together  all  the  lords 
of  the  Philistines,  and  they  said,  Send  away  the  ark  of 


The    Judges  d^  Samuel 

the  God  of  Israel,  and  let  it  go  again  to  its  own  place, 
that  it  slay  us  not,  and  our  people ;  for  there  was  a  deadly 
discomfiture  throughout  all  the  city ;  the  hand  of  God  was 
very  heavy  there.  And  the  men  that  died  not  were  smit- 
ten with  the  tumours :  and  the  cry  of  the  city  went  up  to 
heaven. 

And  the  ark  of  the  Lord  was  in  the  country  of  the 
Philistines  seven  months.  And  the  Philistines  called  for 
the  priests  and  the  diviners,  saying,  What  shall  we  do  with 
the  ark  of  the  Lord?  shew  us  wherewith  we  shall  send  it 
to  its  place.  And  they  said.  If  ye  send  away  the  ark  of 
the  God  of  Israel,  send  it  not  empty ;  but  in  any  wise 
return  him  a  guilt  offering :  then  ye  shall  be  healed,  and 
it  shall  be  known  to  you  why  his  hand  is  not  removed 
from  you.  Then  said  they.  What  shall  be  the  guilt  offer- 
ing which  we  shall  return  to  him?  And  they  said,  Five 
golden  tumours,  and  five  golden  mice,  according  to  the 
number  of  the  lords  of  the  Philistines :  for  one  plague 
was  on  you  all,  and  on  your  lords.  Wherefore,  ye  shall 
make  images  of  your  tumours,  and  images  of  your  mice 
that  mar  the  land ;  and  ye  shall  give  glory  unto  the  God 
of  Israel :  peradventure  he  will  lighten  his  hand  from  off 
you,  and  from  off  your  gods,  and  from  off  your  land. 
Wherefore  then  do  ye  harden  your  hearts,  as  the  Egyp- 
tians and  Pharaoh  hardened  their  hearts?  when  he  had 
wrought  wonderfully  among  them,  did  they  not  let  the 
people  go,  and  they  departed?  Now  therefore  take  and 
157 


Samuel  ^  Bible    Stories 

prepare  you  a  new  cart,  and  two  milch  kine,  on  which 
there  hath  come  no  yoke,  and  tie  the  kine  to  the  cart,  and 
bring  their  calves  home  from  them :  and  take  the  ark  of 
the  Lord,  and  lay  it  upon  the  cart ;  and  put  the  jewels 
of  gold,  which  ye  return  him  for  a  guilt  offering,  in  a  coffer 
by  the  side  thereof;  and  send  it  away,  that  it  may  go. 
And  see,  if  it  goeth  up  by  the  way  of  its  own  border  to 
Beth-shemesh,  then  he  hath  done  us  this  great  evil :  but 
if  not,  then  we  shall  know  that  it  is  not  his  hand  that 
smote  us  ;  it  was  a  chance  that  happened  to  us.  And  the 
men  did  so ;  and  took  two  milch  kine,  and  tied  them  to 
the  cart,  and  shut  up  their  calves  at  home :  and  they  put 
the  ark  of  the  Lord  upon  the  cart,  and  the  coffer  with  the 
mice  of  gold  and  the  images  of  their  tumours.  And  the 
kine  took  the  straight  way  by  the  way  to  Beth-shemesh ; 
they  went  along  the  high  way,  lowing  as  they  went,  and 
turned  not  aside  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left ;  and  the 
lords  of  the  Philistines  went  after  them  unto  the  border  of 
Beth-shemesh.  And  they  of  Beth-shemesh  were  reaping 
their  wheat  harvest  in  the  valley  :  and  they  lifted  up  their 
eyes,  and  savr  the  ark,  and  rejoiced  to  see  it.  And  the 
cart  came  into  the  field  of  Joshua  the  Beth-shemite,  and 
stood  there,  where  there  was  a  great  stone :  and  they 
clave  the  wood  of  the  cart,  and  offered  up  the  kine  for 
a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord.  And  the  Levites  took 
down  the  ark  of  the  Lord,  and  the  coffer  that  was  with 
it,  wherein  the  jewels  of  gold  were,  and  put  them  on  the 


The    Judges  e«-  Saul 

great  stone :  and  the  men  of  Beth-shemesh  offered  burnt 
offerings  and  sacrificed  sacrifices  the  same  day  unto  the 
Lord.  And  when  the  five  lords  of  the  Philistines  had 
seen  it,  they  returned  to  Ekron  the  same  day. 


Vlll 

The  Anointing  of  Saul 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Samuel  was  old,  that  he  made 
his  sons  judges  over  Israel.  And  his  sons  walked  not  in 
his  ways,  but  turned  aside  after  lucre,  and  took  bribes,  and 
perverted  judgement. 

Then  all  the  elders  of  Israel  gathered  themselves  to- 
gether, and  came  to  Samuel  unto  Ramah :  and  they  said 
unto  him.  Behold  thou  art  old,  and  thy  sons  walk  not  in 
thy  ways :  now  make  us  a  king  to  judge  us  like  all  the 
nations.  But  the  thing  displeased  Samuel,  when  they 
said,  Give  us  a  king  to  judge  us.  And  Samuel  prayed 
unto  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Samuel, 
Hearken  unto  the  voice  of  the  people  in  all  that  they  say 
unto  thee  :  for  they  have  not  rejected  thee,  but  they  have 
rejected  me,  that  I  should  not  be  king  over  them.  Ac- 
cording to  all  the  works  which  they  have  done  since  the 
day  that  I  brought  them  up  out  of  Eg3^pt  even  unto  this 
day,  in  that  they  have  forsaken  me,  and  served  other  gods, 
IS9 


Saul  -^  Bible    Stories 

so  do  they  also  unto  thee.  Now  therefore  hearken  unto 
their  voice :  howbeit  thou  shalt  protest  solemnly  unto 
them,  and  shalt  shew  them  the  manner  of  the  king  that 
shall  reign  over  them. 

And  Samuel  told  all  the  words  of  the  Lord  unto  the 
people  that  asked  of  him  a  king.  And  he  said,  This  will 
be  the  manner  of  the  king  that  shall  reign  over  you :  he 
will  take  your  sons,  and  appoint  them  unto  him,  for  his 
chariots,  and  to  be  his  horsemen ;  and  they  shall  run  be- 
fore his  chariots  :  and  he  will  appoint  them  unto  him  for 
captains  of  thousands,  and  captains  of  fifties ;  and  he  will 
set  some  to  plough  his  ground,  and  to  reap  his  harvest, 
and  to  make  his  instruments  of  war,  and  the  instruments 
of  his  chariots.  And  he  will  take  your  daughters  to  be 
confectionaries,  and  to  be  cooks,  and  to  be  bakers.  And 
he  will  take  your  fields,  and  your  vineyards,  and  your 
oliveyards,  even  the  best  of  them,  and  give  them  to  his 
servants.  And  he  will  take  the  tenth  of  your  seed,  and  of 
your  vineyards,  and  give  to  his  officers,  and  to  his  servants. 
And  he  will  take  your  menservants,  and  your  maidservants, 
and  your  goodliest  young  m^,  and  your  asses,  and  put 
them  to  his  work.  He  will  take  the  tenth  of  your  flocks  : 
and  ye  shall  be  his  servants.  And  ye  shall  cry  out  in  that 
day  because  of  your  king  which  ye  shall  have  chosen  you ; 
and  the  Lord  will  not  answer  you  in  that  day.  But  the 
people  refused  to  hearken  unto  the  voice  of  Samuel ;  and 
they  said,  Nay ;  but  we  will  have  a  king  over  us  ;  that  we 
i6o 


The    Judges  ^  Saul 

also  may  be  like  all  the  nations ;  and  that  our  king  may 
judge  us,  and  go  out  before  us,  and  fight  our  battles.  And 
Samuel  heard  all  the  words  of  the  people,  and  he  rehearsed 
them  in  the  ears  of  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  said  to 
Samuel,  Hearken  unto  their  voice,  and  make  them  a  king. 
And  Samuel  said  unto  the  men  of  Israel,  Go  ye  every  man 
unto  his  city. 

Now  there  was  a  man  of  Benjamin,  whose  name  was 
Kish,  a  mighty  man  of  valour.  And  he  had  a  son,  whose 
name  was  Saul,  a  young  man  and  a  goodly  :  and  there  was 
not  among  the  children  of  Israel  a  goodlier  person  than 
he :  from  his  shoulders  and  upward  he  was  higher  than 
any  of  the  people.  And  the  asses  of  Kish  SauPs  father 
were  lost.  And  Kish  said  to  Saul  his  son,  Take  now  one 
of  the  servants  with  thee,  and  arise,  go  seek  the  asses. 
And  he  passed  through  the  hill  country  of  Ephraim,  and 
passed  through  the  land  of  Shaiishah,  but  they  found  them 
not :  then  they  passed  through  the  land  of  Shaalim,  and 
there  they  were  not :  and  he  passed  through  the  land  of 
the  Benjamites,  but  they  found  them  not.  When  they 
v/ere  come  to  the  land  of  Zuph,  Saul  said  to  his  servant 
that  was  with  him,  Come  and  let  us  return ;  lest  my  father 
leave  caring  for  the  asses,  and  take  thought  for  us.  And 
he  said  unto  him,  Behold  now,  there  is  in  this  city  a  man 
of  God,  and  he  is  a  man  that  is  held  in  honour ;  all  that 
he  saith  cometh  surely  to  pass :  now  let  us  go  thither ; 
peradventure  he  can  tell  us  concerning  our  journey  whereon 
M  i6i 


Saul  -^  Bible    Stories 

we  go.  Then  said  Saul  to  his  servant,  But,  behold,  if  we 
go,  what  shall  we  bring  the  man?  for  the  bread  is  spent 
in  our  vessels,  and  there  is  not  a  present  to  bring  to  the 
man  of  God  :  what  have  we  ?  And  the  servant  answered 
Saul  again,  and  said.  Behold,  I  have  in  my  hand  the  fourth 
part  of  a  shekel  of  silver :  that  will  I  give  to  the  man  of 
God,  to  tell  us  our  way. 

Then  said  Saul  to  his  servant,  Well  said ;  come,  let  us 
go.  So  they  went  unto  the  city  where  the  man  of  God 
was.  As  they  went  up  the  ascent  to  the  city,  they  found 
young  maidens  going  out  to  draw  water,  and  said  unto 
them.  Is  the  seer  here?  And  they  answered  them,  and 
said.  He  is ;  behold,  he  is  before  thee :  make  haste  now, 
for  he  is  come  today  into  the  city ;  for  the  people  have  a 
sacrifice  today  in  the  high  place :  as  soon  as  ye  be  come 
into  the  city,  ye  shall  straightway  find  him,  before  he  go 
up  to  the  high  place  to  eat :  for  the  people  will  not  eat 
until  he  come,  because  he  doth  bless  the  sacrifice ;  and 
afterwards  they  eat  that  be  bidden.  Now  therefore  get 
you  up ;  for  at  this  time  ye  shall  find  him.  And  they 
went  up  to  the  city;  and  as  they  came  within  the  city, 
behold,  Samuel  came  out  against  them,  for  to  go  up  to  the 
high  place. 

Now  the  Lord  had  revealed  unto  Samuel  a  day  before 

Saul  came,  saying.  Tomorrow  about  this  time  I  will  send 

thee  a  man  out  of  the  land  of  Benjamin,  and  thou  shalt 

anoint  him   to  be  prince  over  my  people  Israel,  and  he 

162 


The    Judges  8«^  Saul 

shall  save  my  people  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Philistines : 
for  I  have  looked  upon  my  people,  because  their  cry  is 
come  unto  me.  And  when  Samuel  saw  Saul,  the  Lord 
said  unto  him,  Behold  the  man  of  whom  I  spake  to  thee ! 
this  same  shall  have  authority  over  my  people.  Then 
Saul  drew  near  to  Samuel  in  the  gate,  and  said,  Tell  me, 
I  pray  thee,  where  the  seer's  house  is.  And  Samuel 
answered  Saul,  and  said,  I  am  the  seer ;  go  up  before  me 
unto  the  high  place,  for  ye  shall  eat  wdth  me  today :  and 
in  the  morning  I  will  let  thee  go,  and  will  tell  thee  all  that 
is  in  thine  heart.  And  as  for  thine  asses  that  were  lost 
three  days  ago,  set  not  thy  mind  on  them ;  for  they  are 
found.  And  on  whom  is  all  the  desire  of  Israel?  Is  it 
not  on  thee,  and  on  all  thy  father's  house?  And  Saul 
answered  and  said,  Am  not  I  a  Benjamite,  of  the  smallest 
of  the  tribes  of  Israel  ?  and  my  family  the  least  of  all  the 
families  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin?  wherefore  then  speakest 
thou  to  me  after  this  manner?  And  Samuel  took  Saul 
and  his  servant,  and  brought  them  into  the  guest-chamber, 
and  made  them  sit  in  the  chiefest  place  among  them  that 
were  bidden,  which  were  about  thirty  persons.  And 
Samuel  said  unto  the  cook.  Bring  the  portion  which  I 
gave  thee,  of  which  I  said  unto  thee,  Set  it  by  thee.  And 
the  cook  took  up  the  thigh,  and  that  which  was  upon  it, 
and  set  it  before  Saul.  And  Samuel  said,  Behold  that 
which  hath  been  reserved !  set  it  before  thee  and  eat ; 
because  unto  the  appointed  time  hath  it  been  kept  for 
163 


Saul  ^  Bible    Stories 

thee,  for  I  said,  I  have  invited  the  people.  So  Saul  did 
eat  with  Samuel  that  day.  And  when  they  were  come 
down  from  the  high  place  into  the  city,  he  communed 
with  Saul  upon  the  housetop.  And  they  arose  early :  and 
it  came  to  pass  about  the  spring  of  the  day,  that  Samuel 
called  to  Saul  on  the  housetop,  saying.  Up,  that  I  may 
send  thee  away.  And  Saul  arose,  and  they  went  out  both 
of  them,  he  and  Samuel,  abroad.  As  they  were  going 
down  at  the  end  of  the  city,  Samuel  said  to  Saul,  Bid  the 
servant  pass  on  before  us,  (and  he  passed  on,)  but  stand 
thou  still  at  this  time,  that  I  may  cause  thee  to  hear  the 
word  of  God.  Then  Samuel  took  the  vial  of  oil,  and 
poured  it  upon  his  head,  and  kissed  him,  and  said.  Is  it 
not  that  the  Lord  hath  anointed  thee  to  be  prince  over 
his  inheritance?  When  thou  art  departed  from  me  today, 
then  thou  shalt  find  two  men  by  Rachel's  sepulchre,  and 
they  will  say  unto  thee,  The  asses  which  thou  wentest  to 
seek  are  found :  and,  lo,  thy  father  hath  left  the  care  of 
the  asses,  and  taketh  thought  for  you,  saying.  What  shall  I 
do  for  my  son  ?  Then  shalt  thou  go  on  forward  from  thence, 
and  thou  shalt  come  to  the  oak  of  Tabor,  and  there  shall 
meet  thee  there  three  men  going  up  to  God  to  Beth-el,  one 
carrying  three  kids,  and  another  carrying  three  loaves  of 
bread,  and  another  carrying  a  bottle  of  wine:  and  they 
will  salute  thee,  and  give  thee  two  loaves  of  bread ;  which 
thou  shalt  receive  of  their  hand.  After  that  thou  shalt 
come  to  the  hill  of  God,  where  is  the  garrison  of  the 
164 


The    Judges  d^  Saul 

Philistines :  and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  thou  art  come 
thither  to  the  city,  that  thou  shalt  meet  a  band  of  prophets 
coming  down  from  the  high  place  with  a  psaltery,  and  a 
timbrel,  and  a  pipe,  and  a  harp,  before  them ;  and  they 
shall  be  prophesying:  and  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  will 
come  mightily  upon  thee,  and  thou  shalt  prophesy  with 
them,  and  shalt  be  turned  into  another  man.  And  let  it 
be,  when  these  signs  are  come  unto  thee,  that  thou  do  as 
occasion  serve  thee ;  for  God  is  with  thee.  And  thou 
shalt  go  down  before  me  to  Gilgal ;  and,  behold,  I  will 
come  dov/n  unto  thee,  to  offer  burnt  offerings,  and  to 
sacrifice  sacrifices  of  peace  offerings :  seven  days  shalt 
thou  tarry,  till  I  come  unto  thee,  and  shew  thee  what  thou 
shalt  do.  And  it  was  so,  that  when  he  had  turned  his 
back  to  go  from  Samuel,  God  gave  him  another  heart : 
and  all  those  signs  came  to  pass  that  day. 

And  when  they  came  thither  to  the  hill,  behold,  a  band 
of  prophets  met  him  ;  and  the  spirit  of  God  came  mightily 
upon  him,  and  he  prophesied  among  them.  And  it  came 
to  pass,  when  all  that  knew  him  beforetimes  saw  that, 
behold,  he  prophesied  with  the  prophets,  then  the  people 
said  one  to  another,  What  is  this  that  is  come  unto  the  son 
of  Kish?  Is  Saul  also  among  the  prophets?  Therefore 
it  became  a  proverb,  Is  Saul  also  among  the  prophets? 
And  when  he  had  made  an  end  of  prophesying,  he  came 
to  the  high  place. 

And  Saul's  uncle  said  unto  him  and  to  his  servant, 
165 


Saul  -^  Bible    Stories 

Whither  went  ye  ?  And  he  said,  To  seek  the  asses :  and 
when  we  saw  that  they  were  not  found,  we  came  to  Samuel. 
And  Saul's  uncle  said,  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  what  Samuel 
said  unto  you.  And  Saul  said  unto  his  uncle,  He  told  us 
plainly  that  the  asses  were  found.  But  concerning  the 
matter  of  the  kingdom,  whereof  Samuel  spake,  he  told 
him  not. 

And  Samuel  called  the  people  together  unto  the  Lord 
to  Mizpah  ;  and  he  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  I  brought  up  Israel  out 
of  Egypt,  and  I  delivered  you  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
Egyptians,  and  out  of  the  hand  of  all  the  kingdoms  that 
oppressed  you :  but  ye  have  this  day  rejected  your  God, 
who  himself  saveth  you  out  of  all  your  calamities  and  your 
distresses;  and  ye  have  said  unto  him.  Nay,  but  set  a 
king  over  us.  Now  therefore  present  yourselves  before 
the  Lord  by  your  tribes,  and  by  your  thousands.  So 
Samuel  brought  all  the  tribes  of  Israel  near,  and  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin  was  taken.  And  he  brought  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin  near  by  their  families,  and  the  family  of  the 
Matrites  was  taken :  and  Saul  the  son  of  Kish  was  taken ; 
but  when  they  sought  him,  he  could  not  be  found.  There- 
fore they  asked  of  the  Lord  further.  Is  there  yet  a  man  to 
come  hither?  And  the  Lord  answered.  Behold,  he  hath 
hid  himself  among  the  stuff.  And  they  ran  and  fetched 
him  thence ;  and  when  he  stood  among  the  people,  he 
was  higher  than  any  of  the  people  from  his  shoulders  and 
i66 


The    Judges  8«-  David 

upward.  And  Samuel  said  to  all  the  people,  See  ye  him 
whom  the  Lord  hath  chosen,  that  there  is  none  like  him 
among  all  the  people  ?  And  all  the  people  shouted,  and 
said,  God  save  the  king. 

Then  Samuel  told  the  people  the  manner  of  the  king- 
dom, and  wrote  it  in  a  book,  and  laid  it  up  before  the 
Lord.  And  Samuel  sent  all  the  people  away,  every  man 
to  his  house. 


IX 

The  Rejection  of  Saul  and  Anointing  of  David 

And  Samuel  said  unto  Saul,  The  Lord  sent  me  to  anoint 
thee  to  be  king  over  his  people,  over  Israel :  now  there- 
fore hearken  thou  unto  the  voice  of  the  words  of  the  Lord. 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  I  have  marked  that  which 
Amalek  did  to  Israel,  how  he  set  himself  against  him  in 
the  way,  when  he  came  up  out  of  Egypt.  Now  go  and 
smite  Amalek,  and  utterly  destroy  all  that  they  have,  and 
spare  them  not;  but  slay  both  man  and  woman,  infant 
and  suckling,  ox  and  sheep,  camel  and  ass. 

And  Saul  smote  the  Amalekites.      And  he  took  Agag 

the  king  of  the  Amalekites  alive,  and  utterly  destroyed  all 

the  people  with  the  edge  of  the  sword.     But  Saul  and  the 

people  spared  Agag,  and  the  best  of  the  sheep,  and  of  the 

167 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

oxen,  and  of  the  fatlings,  and  the  lambs,  and  all  that  was 
good,  and  would  not  utterly  destroy  them :  but  ever}-  thing 
that  was  vile  and  refuse,  that  they  destroyed  utterly. 

Then  came  the  word  of  the  Lord  unto  Samuel,  saying. 
It  repenteth  me  that  I  have  set  up  Saul  to  be  king :  for 
he  is  turned  back  from  following  me,  and  hath  not  per- 
formed my  commandments.  And  Samuel  was  wroth  ;  and 
he  cried  unto  the  Lord  all  night.  And  Samuel  rose 
early  to  meet  Saul  in  the  morning ;  and  it  was  told  Sam- 
uel, saying,  Saul  came  to  Carmel,  and,  behold,  he  set  him 
up  a  monument,  and  is  gone  about,  and  passed  on,  and 
gone  down  to  Gilgal.  And  Samuel  came  to  Saul :  and 
Saul  said  unto  him.  Blessed  be  thou  of  the  Lord  :  I  have 
performed  the  commandment  of  the  Lord.  And  Samuel 
said,  What  meaneth  then  this  bleating  of  the  sheep  in 
mine  ears,  and  the  lowing  of  the  oxen  which  I  hear? 
And  Saul  said.  They  have  brought  them  from  the  Ama- 
lekites :  for  the  people  spared  the  best  of  the  sheep  and 
of  the  oxen,  to  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  ;  and  the 
rest  we  have  utterly  destroyed.  Then  Samuel  said  unto 
Saul,  Stay,  and  I  will  tell  thee  what  the  Lord  hath  said 
to  me  this  night.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Say  on.  And 
Samuel  said.  Though  thou  wast  little  in  thine  own  sight, 
wast  thou  not  made  the  head  of  the  tribes  of  Israel?  And 
the  Lord  anointed  thee  king  over  Israel ;  and  the  Lord 
sent  thee  on  a  journey,  and  said.  Go  and  utterly  destroy 
the  sinners  the  Amalekites,  and  fight  against  them  until 
i68 


The    Judges  e«-  David 

they  be  consumed.  Wherefore  then  didst  thou  not  obey 
the  voice  of  the  Lord,  but  didst  fly  upon  the  spoil,  and 
didst  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  ?  And 
Saul  said  unto  Samuel,  Yea,  I  have  obeyed  the  voice  of 
the  Lord,  and  have  gone  the  way  which  the  Lord  sent 
me,  and  have  brought  Agag  the  king  of  Amalek,  and  have 
utterly  destroyed  the  Amalekites.  But  the  people  took 
of  the  spoil,  sheep  and  oxen,  the  chief  of  the  devoted 
things,  to  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  in  Gilgal. 
And  Samuel  said,  Hath  the  Lord  as  great  delight  in 
burnt  offerings  and  sacrifices,  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of 
the  Lord  ?  Behold,  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and 
to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams.  Because  thou  hast  re- 
jected the  word  of  the  Lord,  he  hath  also  rejected  thee 
from  being  king.  And  Saul  said  unto  Samuel,  I  have 
sinned :  for  I  have  transgressed  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord,  and  thy  words :  because  I  feared  the  people,  and 
obeyed  their  voice.  Now  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  pardon 
my  sin,  and  turn  again  with  me,  that  I  may  worship  the 
Lord.  And  Samuel  said  unto  Saul,  I  will  not  return  with 
thee :  for  thou  hast  rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and 
the  Lord  hath  rejected  thee  from  being  king  over  Israel. 
And  as  Samuel  turned  about  to  go  away,  he  laid  hold  upon 
the  skirt  of  his  robe,  and  it  rent.  And  Samuel  said  unto 
him.  The  Lord  hath  rent  the  kingdom  of  Israel  from  thee 
this  day,  and  hath  given  it  to  a  neighbour  of  thine,  that  is 
better  than  thou.  And  also  the  Strength  of  Israel  will 
169 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

not  lie  nor  repent :  for  he  is  not  a  man,  that  he  should 
repent.  Then  he  said,  I  have  sinned :  yet  honour  me 
now,  I  pray  thee,  before  the  elders  of  my  people,  and 
before  Israel,  and  turn  again  with  me,  that  I  may  worship 
the  Lord  thy  God.  So  Samuel  turned  again  after  Saul ; 
and  Saul  worshipped  the  Lord. 

Then  said  Samuel,  Bring  ye  hither  to  me  Agag  the  king 
of  the  Amalekites.  And  Agag  came  unto  him  delicately. 
And  Agag  said.  Surely  the  bitterness  of  death  is  past. 
And  Samuel  said,  As  thy  sword  hath  made  women  child- 
less, so  shall  thy  mother  be  childless  among  women.  And 
Samuel  hewed  Agag  in  pieces  before  the  Lord  in  Gilgal. 

Then  Samuel  went  to  Ramah ;  and  Saul  went  up  to  his 
house  to  Gibeah  of  Saul.  And  Samuel  came  no  more  to 
see  Saul  until  the  day  of  his  death ;  for  Samuel  mourned 
for  Saul :  and  the  Lord  repented  that  he  had  made  Saul 
king  over  Israel. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Samuel,  How  long  wilt  thou 
mourn  for  Saul,  seeing  I  have  rejected  him  from  being  king 
over  Israel?  fill  thine  horn  with  oil,  and  go,  I  will  send 
thee  to  Jesse  the  Beth-lehemite :  for  I  have  provided  me 
a  king  among  his  sons.  And  Samuel  said,  How  can  I  go? 
if  Saul  hear  it,  he  will  kill  me.  And  the  Lord  said,  Take 
an  heifer  with  thee,  and  say,  I  am  come  to  sacrifice  to  the 
Lord.  And  call  Jesse  to  the  sacrifice,  and  I  will  shew 
thee  what  thou  shalt  do :  and  thou  shalt  anoint  unto  me 
him   whom  I  name   unto   thee.      And   Samuel   did   that 


The    Judges  ^  David 

which  the  Lord  spake,  and  came  to  Beth-lehem.  And 
the  elders  of  the  city  came  to  meet  him  trembUng,  and 
said,  Comest  thou  peaceably?  And  he  said.  Peaceably: 
I  am  come  to  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  :  sanctify  yourselves, 
and  come  with  me  to  the  sacrifice.  And  he  sanctified 
Jesse  and  his  sons,  and  called  them  to  the  sacrifice.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  when  they  were  come,  that  he  looked  on 
Eliab,  and  said,  Surely  the  Lord's  anointed  is  before  him. 
But  the  Lord  said  unto  Samuel,  Look  not  on  his  counte- 
nance, or  on  the  height  of  his  stature ;  because  I  have  re- 
jected him :  for  the  Lord  seeth  not  as  man  seeth ;  for 
man  looketh  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  the  Lord 
looketh  on  the  heart.  Then  Jesse  called  Abinadab,  and 
made  him  pass  before  Samuel.  And  he  said.  Neither  hath 
the  Lord  chosen  this.  Then  Jesse  made  Shammah  to 
pass  by.  And  he  said,  Neither  hath  the  Lord  chosen 
this.  And  Jesse  made  seven  of  his  sons  to  pass  before 
Samuel.  And  Samuel  said  unto  Jesse,  The  Lord  hath 
not  chosen  these.  And  Samuel  said  unto  Jesse,  Are  here 
all  thy  children?  And  he  said,  There  remaineth  yet  the 
youngest,  and,  behold,  he  keepeth  the  sh4kp.  And  Sam- 
uel said  unto  Jesse,  Send  and  fetch  him :  for  we  will  not 
sit  down  till  he  come  hither.  And  he  sent,  and  brought 
him  in.  Now  he  was  ruddy,  and  withal  of  a  beautiful 
countenance,  and  goodly  to  look  upon.  And  the  Lord 
said.  Arise,  anoint  him :    for  this  is  he.     Then   Samuel 


171 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

brethren :  and  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  came  mightily  upon 
David  from  that  day  forward.  So  Samuel  rose  up,  and 
went  to  Ramah. 


The  Feud  of  Saul  and  David  and  the  Friendship  of 
David  and  Jonathan 

David  and  Goliath 

Now  the  Philistines  gathered  together  their  armies  to 
battle,  and  Saul  and  the  men  of  Israel  were  gathered  to- 
gether, and  set  the  battle  in  array  against  the  Philistines. 
And  the  Philistines  stood  on  the  mountain  on  the  one  side, 
and  Israel  stood  on  the  mountain  on  the  other  side  :  and 
there  was  a  valley  between  them.  And  there  went  out  a 
champion  out  of  the  camp  of  the  Philistines,  named  Goli- 
ath, of  Gath,  whose  height  was  six  cubits  and  a  span. 
And  he  had  an  helmet  of  brass  upon  his  head,  and  he  was 
clad  with  a  co^  of  mail ;  and  the  weight  of  the  coat  was 
five  thousand  shekels  of  brass.  And  he  had  greaves  of 
brass  upon  his  legs,  and  a  javelin  of  brass  between  his 
shoulders.  And  the  staff  of  his  spear  was  like  a  weaver's 
beam ;  and  his  spear's  head  weighed  six  hundred  shekels 
of  iron :  and  his  shieldbearer  went  before  him.  And  he 
stood  and  cried  unto  the  armies  of  Israel,  and  said  unto 

172 


The    Judges  3«-  David 

them,  Why  are  ye  come  out  to  set  your  battle  in  array? 
am  not  I  a  Philistine,  and  ye  servants  to  Saul  ?  choose  you 
a  man  for  you,  and  let  him  come  down  to  me.  If  he  be 
able  to  fight  with  me,  and  kill  me,  then  will  we  be  your 
ser\^ants :  but  if  I  prevail  against  him,  and  kill  him,  then 
shall  ye  be  our  servants,  and  serve  us.  And  the  Philistine 
said,  I  defy  the  armies  of  Israel  this  day ;  give  me  a  man, 
that  we  may  fight  together.  And  when  Saul  and  all  Israel 
heard  those  words  of  the  Philistine,  they  were  dismayed, 
and  greatly  afraid. 

Now  David  was  the  son  of  Jesse :  and  he  had  eight 
sons,  and  the  three  eldest  sons  of  Jesse  had  gone  after 
Saul  to  the  battle,  and  David  w^as  the  youngest.  And  the 
Philistine  drew  near  morning  and  evening,  and  presented 
himself  forty  days. 

And  Jesse  said  unto  David  his  son.  Take  now  for  thy 
brethren  an  ephah  of  this  parched  corn,  and  these  ten 
loaves,  and  carry  them  quickly  to  the  camp  to  thy  breth- 
ren ;  and  bring  these  ten  cheeses  unto  the  captain  of  their 
thousand,  and  look  how  thy  brethren  fare,  and  take  their 
pledge.  Now  Saul,  and  they,  and  all  the  men  of  Israel, 
were  in  the  vale  of  Elah,  fighting  with  the  Philistines. 
And  David  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  left  the  sheep 
with  a  keeper,  and  took,  and  went,  as  Jesse  had  com- 
manded him ;  and  he  came  to  the  place  of  the  wagons, 
as  the  host  which  was  going  forth  to  the  fight  shouted  for 
the  battle.  And  Israel  and  the  Philistines  put  the  battle 
173 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

in  array,  army  against  army.  And  David  left  his  baggage 
in  the  hand  of  the  keeper  of  the  baggage,  and  ran  to  the 
army,  and  came  and  saluted  his  brethren.  And  as  he 
talked  with  them,  behold,  there  came  up  the  champion, 
the  Philistine  of  Gath,  Goliath  by  name,  out  of  the  ranks 
of  the  Philistines,  and  spake  according  to  the  same  words  : 
and  David  heard  them.  And  all  the  men  of  Israel,  when 
they  saw  the  man,  fled  from  him,  and  were  sore  afraid. 
And  the  men  of  Israel  said.  Have  ye  seen  this  man  that 
is  come  up?  surely  to  defy  Israel  is  he  come  up:  and  it 
shall  be,  that  the  man  who  killeth  him,  the  king  will  enrich 
him  with  great  riches,  and  will  give  him  his  daughter,  and 
make  his  father's  house  free  in  Israel.  And  David  spake 
to  the  men  that  stood  by  him,  saying,  What  shall  be  done 
to  the  man  that  killeth  this  Philistine,  and  taketh  away 
the  reproach  from.  Israel?  for  who  is  this  Philistine,  that 
he  should  defy  the  armies  of  the  living  God?  And  the 
people  answered  him  after  this  manner,  saying,  So  shall  it 
be  done  to  the  man  that  killeth  him.  And  Eliab  his  eldest 
brother  heard  when  he  spake  unto  the  men ;  and  Eliab's 
anger  was  kindled  against  David,  and  he  said,  Why  art 
thou  come  down?  and  with  whom  hast  thou  left  those  few 
sheep  in  the  wilderness?  I  know  thy  pride,  and  the 
naughtiness  of  thine  heart ;  for  thou  art  come  down  that 
thou  mightest  see  the  battle.  And  David  said.  What  have 
I  now  done  ?  Is  there  not  a  cause  ?  And  he  turned  away 
from  him  toward  another,  and  spake  after  the  same  man- 
174 


The    Judges  S«-  David 

ner :  and  the  people  answered  him  again  after  the  former 
manner.  And  when  the  words  were  heard  which  David 
spake,  they  rehearsed  them  before  Saul ;  and  he  sent  for 
him.  And  David  said  to  Saul,  Let  no  man's  heart  fail 
because  of  him ;  thy  servant  will  go  and  fight  with  this 
Philistine.  And  Saul  said  to  David,  Thou  art  not  able  to 
go  against  this  Philistine  to  fight  with  him :  for  thou  art 
but  a  youth,  and  he  a  man  of  war  from  his  youth.  And 
David  said  unto  Saul,  Thy  servant  kept  his  father's  sheep ; 
and  when  there  came  a  lion,  or  a  bear,  and  took  a  lamb 
out  of  the  flock,  I  went  out  after  him,  and  smote  him,  and 
delivered  it  out  of  his  mouth :  and  when  he  arose  against 
me,  I  caught  him  by  his  beard,  and  smote  him,  and  slew 
him.  Thy  servant  smote  both  the  lion  and  the  bear:  and 
this  Philistine  shall  be  as  one  of  them,  seeing  he  hath  de- 
fied the  armies  of  the  living  God.  And  David  said,  The 
Lord  that  delivered  me  out  of  the  paw  of  the  lion,  and  out 
of  the  paw  of  the  bear,  he  will  deliver  me  out  of  the  hand 
of  this  Philistine.  And  Saul  said  unto  David,  Go,  and 
the  Lord  shall  be  with  thee.  And  Saul  clad  David  with 
his  apparel,  and  he  put  an  helmet  of  brass  upon  his  head, 
and  he  clad  him  with  a  coat  of  mail.  And  David  girded 
his  sword  upon  his  apparel,  and  he  assayed  to  go ;  for  he 
had  not  proved  it.  And  David  said  unto  Saul,  I  cannot 
go  with  these;  for  I  have  not  proved  them.  And  David 
put  them  off  him.  And  he  took  his  staff  in  his  hand,  and 
chose  him  five  smooth  stones  out  of  the  brook,  and  put 
175 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

them  in  the  shepherd's  bag  which  he  had,  even  in  his 
scrip  ;  and  his  sling  was  in  his  hand :  and  he  drew  near  to 
the  Philistine. 

And  the  Philistine  came  on  and  drew  near  unto  David  ; 
and  the  man  that  bare  the  shield  went  before  him.  And 
when  the  Philistine  looked  about,  and  saw  David,  he  dis- 
dained him :  for  he  was  but  a  youth,  and  ruddy,  and  withal 
of  a  fair  countenance.  And  the  Philistine  said  unto  David, 
Am  I  a  dog,  that  thou  comest  to  me  with  staves  ?  And  the 
Philistine  cursed  David  by  his  gods.  And  the  Philistine 
said  to  David,  Come  to  me,  and  I  will  give  thy  flesh  unto 
the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  to  the  beasts  of  the  field.  Then 
said  David  to  the  Philistine,  Thou  comest  to  me  with  a 
sword,  and  with  a  spear,  and  with  a  javelin :  but  I  come 
to  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the  God  of  the 
armies  of  Israel,  which  thou  hast  defied.  This  day  wall 
the  Lord  deliver  thee  into  mine  hand ;  and  I  will  smite 
thee,  and  take  thine  head  from  off"  thee ;  and  I  will  give 
the  carcases  of  the  host  of  the  PhiUstines  this  day  unto  the 
fowls  of  the  air,  and  to  the  wild  beasts  of  the  earth ;  that 
all  the  earth  may  know  that  there  is  a  God  in  Israel ;  and 
that  all  this  assembly  may  know  that  the  Lord  saveth  not 
with  sword  and  spear :  for  the  battle  is  the  Lord's,  and 
he  will  give  you  into  our  hand.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  the  Philistine  arose,  and  came  and  drew  nigh  to  meet 
David,  that  David  hastened,  and  ran  toward  the  army  to 
meet  the  Philistine.  And  David  put  his  hand  in  his  bag, 
176 


The    Judges  ^-  David 

and  took  thence  a  stone,  and  slang  it,  and  smote  the  Phi- 
listine in  his  forehead ;  and  the  stone  sank  into  his  fore- 
head, and  he  fell  upon  his  face  to  the  earth.  So  David 
prevailed  over  the  Philistine  with  a  sling  and  with  a  stone, 
and  smote  the  Philistine,  and  slew  him  ;  but  there  was  no 
sword  in  the  hand  of  David.  Then  David  ran,  and  stood 
over  the  Philistine,  and  took  his  sword,  and  drew  it  out  of 
the  sheath  thereof,  and  slew  him,  and  cut  off  his  head  there- 
with. And  when  the  Philistines  saw  that  their  champion 
was  dead,  they  fled.  And  the  men  of  Israel  and  of  Judah 
arose,  and  shouted,  and  pursued  the  Philistines.  And  the 
children  of  Israel  returned  from  chasing  after  the  Philis- 
tines, and  they  spoiled  their  camp.  And  David  took  the 
head  of  the  Philistine,  and  brought  it  to  Jerusalem ;  but 
he  put  his  armour  in  his  tent. 

Hoia  the  Fend  and  the  Friendship  began 

And  when  Saul  saw  David  go  forth  against  the  Philistine, 
he  said  unto  Abner,  the  captain  of  the  host,  Abner,  whose 
son  is  this  youth  ?  And  Abner  said.  As  thy  soul  liveth,  O 
king,  I  cannot  tell.  And  the  king  said.  Inquire  thou  whose 
son  the  stripling  is.  And  as  David  returned  from  the 
slaughter  of  the  Philistine,  Abner  took  him,  and  brought 
him  before  Saul  with  the  head  of  the  Philistine  in  his  hand. 
And  Saul  said  to  him,  Whose  son  art  thou,  thou  young 
man?  And  David  answered,  I  am  the  son  of  thy  servant 
N  177 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

Jesse  the  Beth-lehemite.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he 
had  made  an  end  of  speaking  unto  Saul,  that  the  soul  of 
Jonathan  was  knit  with  the  soul  of  David,  and  Jonathan 
loved  him  as  his  own  soul.  And  Saul  took  him  that  day, 
and  would  let  him  go  no  more  home  to  his  father's  house. 
Then  Jonathan  and  David  made  a  covenant,  because  he 
loved  him  as  his  own  soul.  And  Jonathan  stripped  him- 
self of  the  robe  that  was  upon  him,  and  gave  it  to  David, 
and  his  apparel,  even  to  his  sword,  and  to  his  bow,  and  to 
his  girdle.  And  David  went  out  whithersoever  Saul  sent 
him,  and  behaved  himself  wisely :  and  Saul  set  him  over 
the  men  of  war,  and  it  was  good  in  the  sight  of  all  the 
people,  and  also  in  the  sight  of  Saul's  servants. 

And  it  came  to  pass  as  they  came,  when  David  returned 
from  the  slaughter  of  the  Philistine,  that  the  women  came 
out  of  all  the  cities  of  Israel,  singing  and  dancing,  to  meet 
king  Saul,  with  timbrels,  with  joy,  and  with  instruments  of 
music.  And  the  women  sang  one  to  another  in  their  play, 
and  said, 

Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands, 
And  David  his  ten  thousands. 

And  Saul  was  very  wroth,  and  this  saying  displeased 
him ;  and  he  said,  They  have  ascribed  unto  David  ten 
thousands,  and  to  me  they  have  ascribed  but  thousands : 
and  what  can  he  have  more  but  the  kingdom?  And 
Saul  eyed  David  from  that  day  and  forward. 
178 


The   Judges  8«-  David 

And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  an  evil  spirit 
from  God  came  mightily  upon  Saul,  and  he  prophesied  in 
the  midst  of  the  house  :  and  David  played  with  his  hand, 
as  he  did  day  by  day :  and  Saul  had  his  spear  in  his  hand. 
And  Saul  cast  the  spear ;  for  he  said,  I  will  smite  David 
even  to  the  wall.  And  David  avoided  out  of  his  presence 
twice.  And  Saul  was  afraid  of  David,  because  the  Lord 
was  with  him,  and  was  departed  from  Saul.  Therefore 
Saul  removed  him  from  him,  and  made  him  his  captain 
over  a  thousand ;  and  he  went  out  and  came  in  before  the 
people.  And  David  behaved  himself  wisely  in  all  his 
ways  ;  and  the  Lord  was  with  him.  And  when  Saul  saw 
that  he  behaved  himself  very  wisely,  he  stood  in  awe  of 
him.  But  all  Israel  and  Judah  loved  David ;  for  he  went 
out  and  came  in  before  them. 

The  Escape  by  Night 

And  Saul  spake  to  Jonathan  his  son,  and  to  all  his  ser- 
vants, that  they  should  slay  David.  But  Jonathan  Saul's 
son  delighted  much  in  David.  And  Jonathan  told  David, 
saying,  Saul  my  father  seeketh  to  slay  thee  :  now  therefore, 
I  pray  thee,  take  heed  to  thyself  in  the  morning,  and  abide 
in  a  secret  place,  and  hide  thyself:  and  I  will  go  out  and 
stand  beside  my  father  in  the  field  where  thou  art,  and  I 
will  commune  with  my  father  of  thee ;  and  if  I  see  aught, 
I  will  tell  thee.  And  Jonathan  spake  good  of  David  unto 
179 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

Saul  his  father,  and  said  unto  him,  Let  not  the  king  sin 
against  his  servant,  against  David ;  because  he  hath  not 
sinned  against  thee,  and  because  his  works  have  been 
to  thee- ward  very  good:  for  he  put  his  life  in  his  hand, 
and  smote  the  Philistine,  and  the  Lord  wrought  a  great 
victory  for  all  Israel :  thou  sawest  it,  and  didst  rejoice : 
wherefore  then  wilt  thou  sin  against  innocent  blood,  to 
slay  David  without  a  cause?  And  Saul  hearkened  unto 
the  voice  of  Jonathan :  and  Saul  sware.  As  the  Lord 
liveth,  he  shall  not  be  put  to  death.  And  Jonathan 
called  David,  and  Jonathan  shewed  him  all  those  things. 
And  Jonathan  brought  David  to  Saul,  and  he  was  in  his 
presence,  as  beforetime. 

And  there  was  war  again :  and  David  went  out,  and 
fought  with  the  Philistines,  and  slew  them  with  a  great 
slaughter;  and  they  fied  before  him.  And  an  evil  spirit 
from  the  Lord  was  upon  Saul,  as  he  sat  in  his  house  with 
his  spear  in  his  hand ;  and  David  played  with  his  hand. 
And  Saul  sought  to  smite  David  even  to  the  wall  with  the 
spear;  but  he  slipped  away  out  of  Saul's  presence,  and  he 
smote  the  spear  into  the  wall :  and  David  fled,  and  escaped 
that  night.  And  Saul  sent  messengers  unto  David's  house, 
to  w^atch  him,  and  to  slay  him  in  the  morning :  and  Mi- 
chal  David's  wife  told  him,  saying,  If  thou  save  not  thy 
life  tonight,  tomorrow  thou  shalt  be  slain.  So  Michal  let 
David  down  through  the  window :  and  he  went,  and  fled, 
and  escaped.  And  Michal  took  the  teraphim,  and  laid  it 
i8o 


The    Judges  8«-  David 

in  the  bed,  and  put  a  pillow  of  goats'  hair  at  the  head 
thereof,  and  covered  it  with  the  clothes.  And  when  Saul 
sent  messengers  to  take  David,  she  said,  He  is  sick.  And 
Saul  sent  the  messengers  to  see  David,  saying,  Bring  him 
up  to  me  in  the  bed,  that  I  may  slay  him.  And  when  the 
messengers  came  in,  behold,  the  teraphiiji  was  in  the  bed, 
with  the  pillow  of  goats'  hair  at  the  head  thereof.  And 
Saul  said  unto  Michal,  Why  hast  thou  deceived  me  thus, 
and  let  mine  enemy  go,  that  he  is  escaped?  And  Michal 
answered  Saul,  He  said  unto  me,  Let  me  go ;  why  should 
I  kill  thee? 

The  Secret  Meeting  of  David  and  Jonathan 

And  David  came  and  said  before  Jonathan,  What  have 
I  done  ?  what  is  mine  iniquity  ?  and  what  is  my  sin  before 
thy  father,  that  he  seeketh  my  life  ?  And  he  said  unto  him, 
God  forbid ;  thou  shalt  not  die :  behold,  my  father  doeth 
nothing  either  great  or  small,  but  that  he  discloseth  it  unto 
me :  and  why  should  my  father  hide  this  thing  from  me? 
it  is  not  so.  And  David  sware  moreover,  and  said,  Thy 
father  knoweth  well  that  I  have  found  grace  in  thine  eyes ; 
and  he  saith.  Let  not  Jonathan  know  this,  lest  he  be 
grieved :  but  truly  as  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy  soul 
liveth,  there  is  but  a  step  between  me  and  death.  Then 
said  Jonathan  unto  David,  Whatsoever  thy  soul  desireth, 
I  will  even  do  it  for  thee.     And  David  said  unto  Jonathan, 

i8i 


David  -59  Bible    Stories 

Behold,  tomorrow  is  the  new  moon,  and  I  should  not  fail 
to  sit  with  the  king  at  meat :  but  let  me  go  that  I  may 
hide  myself  in  the  field  unto  the  third  day  at  even.  If 
thy  father  miss  me  at  all,  then  say,  David  earnestly  asked 
leave  of  me  that  he  might  run  to  Beth-lehem  his  city :  for 
it  is  the  yearly  sacrifice  there  for  all  the  family.  If  he  say 
thus,  It  is  well ;  thy  servant  shall  have  peace :  but  if  he  be 
wroth,  then  know  that  evil  is  determined  by  him.  There- 
fore deal  kindly  with  thy  servant ;  for  thou  hast  brought 
thy  servant  into  a  covenant  of  the  Lord  with  thee  :  but  if 
there  be  in  me  iniquity,  slay  me  thyself;  for  why  shouldest 
thou  bring  me  to  thy  father?  And  Jonathan  said.  Far  be 
it  from  thee  :  for  if  I  should  at  all  know  that  evil  were  de- 
termined by  my  father  to  come  upon  thee,  then  would  not 
I  tell  it  thee?  Then  said  David  to  Jonathan,  Who  shall 
tell  me  if  perchance  thy  father  answer  thee  roughly  ?  And 
Jonathan  said  unto  David,  Come  and  let  us  go  out  into  the 
field.     And  they  went  out  both  of  them  into  the  field. 

And  Jonathan  said  unto  David,  The  Lord,  the  God  of 
Israel,  be  witness ;  when  I  have  sounded  my  father  about 
this  time  tomorrow,  or  the  third  day,  behold,  if  there  be 
good  toward  David,  shall  I  not  then  send  unto  thee,  and 
disclose  it  unto  thee  ?  The  Lord  do  so  to  Jonathan,  and 
more  also,  should  it  please  my  father  to  do  thee  evil,  if  I 
disclose  it  not  unto  thee,  and  send  thee  away,  that  thou 
mayest  go  in  peace :  and  the  Lord  be  with  thee,  as  he 
hath  been  with  my  father.  And  thou  shalt  not  only  while 
182 


The    Judges  B«-  David 

yet  I  live  shew  me  the  kindness  of  the  Lord,  that  I  die 
not :  but  also  thou  shalt  not  cut  off  thy  kindness  from  my 
house  for  ever :  no,  not  when  the  Lord  hath  cut  off  the 
enemies  of  David  every  one  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 
So  Jonathan  made  a  covenant  with  the  house  of  David, 
saying,  And  the  Lord  shall  require  it  at  the  hand  of 
David's  enemies.  And  Jonathan  caused  David  to  swear 
again,  for  the  love  that  he  had  to  him  :  for  he  loved  him 
as  he  loved  his  own  soul.  Then  Jonathan  said  unto  him, 
Tomorrow  is  the  new  moon  :  and  thou  shalt  be  missed, 
because  thy  seat  will  be  empty.  And  when  thou  hast 
stayed  three  days,  thou  shalt  go  down  quickly,  and  come 
to  the  place  where  thou  didst  hide  thyself  when  the  busi- 
ness was  in  hand,  and  shalt  remain  by  the  stone  Ezel.  And 
I  will  shoot  three  arrows  on  the  side  thereof,  as  though  I 
shot  at  a  mark.  And,  behold,  I  will  send  the  lad,  saying, 
Go,  find  the  arrows.  If  I  say  unto  the  lad,  Behold,  the 
arrows  are  on  this  side  of  thee :  take  them,  and  come ; 
for  there  is  peace  to  thee  and  no  hurt,  as  the  Lord  liveth. 
But  if  I  say  thus  unto  the  boy.  Behold,  the  arrows  are  be- 
yond thee  :  go  thy  way  ;  for  the  Lord  hath  sent  thee  away. 
And  as  touching  the  matter  which  thou  and  I  have  spoken 
of,  behold,  the  Lord  is  between  thee  and  me  for  ever. 

So  David  hid  himself  in  the  field :  and  when  the  new 

moon  was  come,  the  king  sat  him  down  to   eat   meat. 

And  the  king  sat  upon  his  seat,  as  at  other  times,  even 

upon  the  seat  by  the  wall;  and  Jonathan  stood  up,  and 

183 


David  ^  Bible    Stories 

Abner  sat  by  Saul's  side :  but  David's  place  was  empty. 
Nevertheless  Saul  spake  not  any  thing  that  day:  for  he 
thought,  Something  hath  befallen  him.  And  it  came  to 
pass  on  the  morrow  after  the  new  moon,  which  was  the 
second  day,  that  David's  place  was  empty :  and  Saul  said 
unto  Jonathan  his  son,  Wherefore  cometh  not  the  son  of 
Jesse  to  meat,  neither  yesterday,  nor  today?  And  Jona- 
than answered  Saul,  David  earnestly  asked  leave  of  me  to 
go  to  Beth-lehem :  and  he  said.  Let  me  go,  I  pray  thee ; 
for  our  family  hath  a  sacrifice  in  the  city ;  and  my  brother, 
he  hath  commanded  me  to  be  there :  and  now,  if  I  have 
found  favour  in  thine  eyes,  let  me  get  away,  I  pray  thee, 
and  see  my  brethren.  Therefore  he  is  not  come  unto  the 
king's  table.  Then  Saul's  anger  was  kindled  against  Jona- 
than, and  he  said  unto  him.  Thou  son  of  a  perverse  rebel- 
lious woman,  do  not  I  know  that  thou  hast  chosen  the  son 
of  Jesse  to  thine  own  shame?  For  as  long  as  the  son  of 
Jesse  liveth  upon  the  ground,  thou  shalt  not  be  stablished, 
nor  thy  kingdom.  Wherefore  now  send  and  fetch  him 
unto  me,  for  he  shall  surely  die.  And  Jonathan  answered 
Saul  his  father,  and  said  unto  him,  Wherefore  should  he 
be  put  to  death?  what  hath  he  done?  And  Saul  cast  his 
spear  at  him  to  smite  him :  whereby  Jonathan  knew  that 
it  was  determined  of  his  father  to  put  David  to  death. 
So  Jonathan  arose  from  the  table  in  fierce  anger,  and  did 
eat  no  meat  the  second  day  of  the  month  :  for  he  w^as 
grieved  for  David,  because  his  father  had  done  him  shame. 
184 


The    Judges  B^  David 

And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning,  that  Jonathan 
went  out  into  the  field  at  the  time  appointed  with  David, 
and  a  Httle  lad  with  him.  And  he  said  unto  his  lad,  Run, 
find  now  the  arrows  which  I  shoot.  And  as  the  lad  ran, 
he  shot  an  arrow  beyond  him.  And  when  the  lad  was 
come  to  the  place  of  the  arrow  which  Jonathan  had  shot, 
Jonathan  cried  after  the  lad,  and  said.  Is  not  the  arrow 
beyond  thee?  And  Jonathan  cried  after  the  lad.  Make 
speed,  haste,  stay  not.  And  Jonathan's  lad  gathered  up 
the  arrows,  and  came  to  his  master.  But  the  lad  knew 
not  any  thing :  only  Jonathan  and  David  knew  the  matter. 
And  Jonathan  gave  his  weapons  unto  his  lad,  and  said 
unto  him,  Go,  carry  them  to  the  city.  And  as  soon  as 
the  lad  was  gone,  David  arose  out  of  a  place  toward  the 
South,  and  fell  on  his  face  to  the  ground,  and  bowed  him- 
self three  times :  and  they  kissed  one  another,  and  wept 
one  with  another,  until  David  exceeded.  And  Jonathan 
said  to  David,  Go  in  peace,  forasmuch  as  we  have  sworn 
both  of  us  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  saying,  The  Lord 
shall  be  between  me  and  thee,  and  between  my  seed  and 
thy  seed,  for  ever.  And  he  arose  and  departed :  and 
Jonathan  went  into  the  city. 

T/ie  Adve7iture  of  the  Spear  and  Water-cruse 

And  the  Ziphites  came  unto  Saul  to  Gibeah,  saying. 
Doth  not  David  hide  himself  in   the   hill   of  Hachilah, 

I8S 


David  ^  Bible    Stories 

which  is  before  the  desert?  Then  Saul  arose,  and  went 
down  to  the  wilderness  of  Ziph,  having  three  thousand 
chosen  men  of  Israel  with  him,  to  seek  David  in  the  wil- 
derness of  Ziph.  And  Saul  pitched  in  the  hill  of  Hachilah, 
which  is  before  the  desert,  by  the  way.  But  David  abode 
in  the  wilderness,  and  he  saw  that  Saul  came  after  him 
into  the  wilderness.  David  therefore  sent  out  spies,  and 
understood  that  Saul  was  come  of  a  certainty.  And 
David  arose,  and  came  to  the  place  where  Saul  had 
pitched :  and  David  beheld  the  place  where  Saul  lay,  and 
Abner  the  son  of  Ner,  the  captain  of  his  host :  and  Saul 
lay  within  the  place  of  the  wagons,  and  the  people  pitched 
round  about  him.  Then  answered  David  and  said.  Who 
will  go  down  with  me  to  Saul  to  the  camp  ?  And  Abishai 
said,  I  will  go  down  with  thee.  So  David  and  Abishai 
came  to  the  people  by  night :  and,  behold,  Saul  lay  sleep- 
ing within  the  place  of  the  wagons,  with  his  spear  stuck 
in  the  ground  at  his  head :  and  Abner  and  the  people  lay 
round  about  him.  Then  said  Abishai  to  David,  God  hath 
delivered  up  thine  enemy  into  thine  hand  this  day :  now 
therefore  let  me  smite  him,  I  pray  thee,  with  the  spear 
to  the  earth  at  one  stroke,  and  I  will  not  smite  him  the 
second  time.  And  David  said  to  Abishai,  Destroy  him 
not :  for  who  can  put  forth  his  hand  against  the  Lord's 
anointed,  and  be  guiltless?  And  David  said.  As  the  Lord 
liveth,  the  Lord  shall  smite  him ;  or  his  day  shall  come 
to  die ;  or  he  shall  go  down  into  battle,  and  perish.  The 
i86 


The    Judges  S«^  David 

Lord  forbid  that  I  should  put  forth  mine  hand  against 
the  Lord's  anointed :  but  now  take,  I  pray  thee,  the  spear 
that  is  at  his  head,  and  the  cruse  of  water,  and  let  us  go. 
So  David  took  the  spear  and  the  cruse  of  water  from 
SauPs  head ;  and  they  gat  them  away,  and  no  man  saw 
it,  nor  knew  it,  neither  did  any  awake :  for  they  were  all 
asleep ;  because  a  deep  sleep  from  the  Lord  was  fallen 
upon  them. 

Then  David  went  over  to  the  other  side,  and  stood  on 
the  top  of  the  mountain  afar  off;  a  great  space  being 
between  them :  and  David  cried  to  the  people,  and  to 
Abner  the  son  of  Ner,  saying,  Answerest  thou  not,  Abner? 
Then  Abner  answered  and  said.  Who  art  thou  that  criest 
to  the  king?  And  David  said  to  Abner,  Art  not  thou  a 
valiant  man  ?  and  who  is  like  to  thee  in  Israel  ?  wherefore 
then  hast  thou  not  kept  watch  over  thy  lord  the  king?  for 
there  came  one  of  the  people  in  to  destroy  the  king  thy 
lord.  This  thing  is  not  good  that  thou  hast  done.  As 
the  Lord  liveth,  ye  are  worthy  to  die,  because  ye  have 
not  kept  watch  over  your  lord,  the  Lord's  anointed.  And 
now,  see,  where  the  king's  spear  is,  and  the  cruse  of  water 
that  was  at  his  head.  And  'Saul  knew  David's  voice,  and 
said,  Is  this  thy  voice,  my  son  David?  And  David  said. 
It  is  my  voice,  my  lord,  O  king.  And  he  said.  Wherefore 
doth  my  lord  pursue  after  his  servant?  for  what  have  I 
done?  or  what  evil  is  in  mine  hand?  Now  therefore,  I 
pray  thee,  let  my  lord  the  king  hear  the  words  of  his 
187 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

servant.  If  it  be  the  Lord  that  hath  stirred  thee  up 
against  me,  let  him  accept  an  offering:  but  if  it  be  the 
children  of  men,  cursed  be  they  before  the  Lord  ;  for 
they  have  driven  me  out  this  day  that  I  should  not  cleave 
unto  the  inheritance  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Go,  serve  other 
gods.  Now  therefore,  let  not  my  blood  fall  to  the  earth 
away  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  :  for  the  king  of 
Israel  is  come  out  to  seek  a  flea,  as  when  one  doth  hunt 
a  partridge  in  the  mountains.  Then  said  Saul,  I  have 
sinned :  return,  my  son  David :  for  I  will  no  more  do  thee 
harm,  because  my  life  was  precious  in  thine  eyes  this  day : 
behold,  I  have  played  the  fool,  and  have  erred  exceedingly. 
And  David  answered  and  said.  Behold  the  spear,  O  king! 
let  then  one  of  the  young  men  come  over  and  fetch  it. 
And  the  Lord  shall  render  to  every  man  his  righteousness 
and  his  faithfulness :  forasmuch  as  the  Lord  delivered 
thee  into  my  hand  today,  and  I  would  not  put  forth  mine 
hand  against  the  Lord's  anointed.  And,  behold,  as  thy 
life  was  much  set  by  this  day  in  mine  eyes,  so  let  my  life 
be  much  set  by  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  and  let  him  de- 
liver me  out  of  all  tribulation.  Then  Saul  said  to  David, 
Blessed  be  thou,  my  son  David :  thou  shalt  both  do 
mightily,  and  shalt  surely  prevail.  So  David  went  his 
way,  and  Saul  returned  to  his  place. 


i88 


The    Judges  e«-  David 

The  Battle  of  Gilboa 

Now  the  PhiHstines  fought  against  Israel :  and  the  men 
of  Israel  fled  from  before  the  Philistines,  and  fell  down 
slain  in  mount  Gilboa.  And  the  Philistines  followed 
hard  upon  Saul  and  upon  his  sons ;  and  the  Philistines 
slew  the  sons  of  Saul.  And  the  battle  went  sore  against 
Saul,  and  the  archers  overtook  him ;  and  he  was  greatly 
distressed  by  reason  of  the  archers.  Then  said  Saul  to 
his  armourbearer,  Draw  thy  sword,  and  thrust  me  through 
therewith  ;  lest  these  come  and  thrust  me  through,  and 
abuse  me.  But  his  armourbearer  would  not ;  for  he  was 
sore  afraid.  Therefore  Saul  took  his  sword,  and  fell  upon 
it.  And  when  his  armourbearer  saw  that  Saul  was  dead, 
he  likewise  fell  upon  his  sword,  and  died  with  him.  So 
Saul  died,  and  his  three  sons,  and  his  armourbearer,  and 
all  his  men,  that  same  day  together. 

And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  that,  behold,  a 
man  came  out  of  the  camp  from  Saul  with  his  clothes  rent, 
and  earth  upon  his  head :  and  so  it  was,  when  he  came 
to  David,  that  he  fell  to  the  earth,  and  did  obeisance. 
And  David  said  unto  him,  From  whence  comest  thou  ? 
And  he  said  unto  him.  Out  of  the  camp  of  Israel  am  I 
escaped.  And  David  said  unto  him.  How  went  the  mat- 
ter ?  I  pray  thee,  tell  me.  And  he  answered,  The  people 
are  fled  from  the  battle,  and  many  of  the  people  also  are 
fallen  and  dead  ;  and  Saul  and  Jonathan  his  son  are  dead 
189 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

also.  And  David  said  unto  the  young  man  that  told  him, 
How  knowest  thou  that  Saul  and  Jonathan  his  son  be 
dead  ?  And  the  young  man  that  told  him  said,  As  I 
happened  by  chance  upon  mount  Gilboa,  behold,  Saul 
leaned  upon  his  spear;  and,  lo,  the  chariots  and  the 
horsemen  followed  hard  after  him.  And  when  he  looked 
behind  him,  he  saw  me,  and  called  unto  me.  And  I 
answered.  Here  am  I.  And  he  said  unto  me.  Who  art 
thou  ?  And  I  answered  him,  I  am  an  Amalekite.  And 
he  said  unto  me.  Stand,  I  pray  thee,  beside  me,  and  slay 
me,  for  anguish  hath  taken  hold  of  me  ;  because  my  life 
is  yet  whole  in  me.  So  I  stood  beside  him,  and  slew 
him,  because  I  was  sure  that  he  could  not  live  after  that 
he  was  fallen  :  and  I  took  the  crown  that  was  upon  his 
head,  and  the  bracelet  that  was  on  his  arm,  and  have 
brought  them  hither  unto  my  lord.  Then  David  took 
hold  on  his  clothes,  and  rent  them ;  and  likewise  all  the 
men  that  were  with  him,  and  they  mourned,  and  wept, 
and  fasted  until  even,  for  Saul,  and  for  Jonathan  his  son, 
and  for  the  people  of  the  Lord,  and  for  the  house  of 
Israel ;  because  they  were  fallen  by  the  sw^ord.  And 
David  said  unto  the  young  man  that  told  him.  Whence  art 
thou  ?  And  he  answered,  I  am  the  son  of  a  stranger,  an 
Amalekite.  And  David  said  unto  him,  How  wast  thou 
not  afraid  to  put  forth  thine  hand  to  destroy  the  Lord's 
anointed  ?  And  David  called  one  of  the  young  men,  and 
said.  Go  near,  and  fall  upon  him.  And  he  smote  him,  that 
190 


The    Judges  8«-  David 

he  died.  And  David  said  unto  him,  Thy  blood  be  upon 
thy  head ;  for  thy  mouth  hath  testified  against  thee,  say- 
ing, I  have  slain  the  Lord's  anointed. 

And  David  lamented  with  this  lamentation   over  Saul 
and  over  Jonathan  his  son. 


David's  Lament 

Thy  glory,  O  Israel, 

Is  slain  upon  thy  high  places  ! 

How  are  the  mighty — 

Fallen ! 

Ye  mountains  of  Gilboa,  let  there  be   no   dew   nor  rain 
upon  you. 

Neither  fields  of  offerings  ; 

For  there  the  shield  of  the  mighty  was  vilely  cast  away, 
The  shield  of  Saul  as  of  one  not  anointed  with  oil. 

From  the  blood  of  the  slain, 

From  the  fat  of  the  mighty, 

The  bow  of  Jonathan  turned  not  back, 
And  the  sword  of  Saul  returned  not  empty. 

Saul  and  Jonathan  were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives, 
And  in  their  death  they  were  not  divided ; 

They  were  swifter  than  eagles, 

They  were  stronger  than  lions. 
191 


David  -^  Bible    Stories 

Ye  daughters  of  Israel, 

Weep  over  Saul, 

Who  clothed  you  in  scarlet  delicately. 

Who  put  ornaments  of  gold  upon  your  apparel. 

How  are  the  mighty  — 

Fallen  in  the  midst  of  the  battle  I 

O  Jonathan, 

Slain  upon  thy  high  places, 

I  am  distressed  for  thee,  my  brother  Jonathan : 
Very  pleasant  hast  thou  been  unto  me : 

Thy  love  to  me  was  wonderful, 

Passing  the  love  of  women. 

How  are  the  mighty  — 

Fallen ! 
And  the  weapons  of  war -^ 

Perished  I 

192 


The    Judges  B«-  Notes 


Notes  to  the  Judges 

ii.     Old  shoes  and  clouted  :  f/^^//^</ is  patched. 

iii.  To  understand  thoroughly  this  celebrated  story  certain 
points  must  be  borne  in  mind,  (i)  At  different  times  different 
tribes  of  Israel  take  the  lead;  in  the  present  case  it  is  the  north- 
ern tribes  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali  who  are  the  heroes  of  the 
day.  Other  tribes  are  less  eager,  especially  Reuben;  its  change 
of  mind  from  great  resolves  of  heart  to  great  searchings  of  heart 
is  laughed  at  in  the  Song  of  Deborah.  Barak  the  commander- 
in-chief  is  of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  \j>ut  of  Zebtdun  they  that 
handle  the  marshaPs  staff~\  :  the  rallying  place  of  the  hosts  is 
Kedesh-naphtali  [great  city,  or  capital,  of  Naphtali].  Deborah 
herself  was  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar.  The  different  behaviour  of 
the  tribes  is  celebrated  in  the  portion  of  the  song  called  the 
Muster.  (2)  The  Kenites  were  a  people  who  had  joined  the 
Israelites  during  their  journey  through  the  wilderness,  and  had 
become  by  now  a  part  of  Israel,  except  that  the  Kenites  con- 
tinued their  life  in  tents.  Hence  the  importance  of  the  state- 
ments that  Heber  the  Kenite  had  severed  himself  from  the  Kenites 
.  .  .  and  had  pitched  his  tent  as  far  as  the  oak  .  .  .  which  is  by 
Kedesh  :  and  again :  There  was  peace  between  Jabin  .  .  .  and 
the  house  of  Heber  :  and  again :  They  told  Sisera  that  Barak 
.  .  .  was  gone  up.  Putting  these  three  passages  together  we 
can  see  that  this  Heber  the  Kenite  was  a  spy,  in  the  pay  of  the 
Canaanite  king,  and  that  he  betrayed  the  movements  of  his 
allies  the  Israelites  to  their  oppressor.     But  his  wife  Jael  evi- 

o  193 


Notes  -^  Bible    Stories 

dently  hates  this  treachery,  and  plays  the  traitor  on  the  other 
side,  by  slaying  Sisera  when  he  takes  refuge  in  her  tent.  Noth- 
ing can  excuse  her  treacherous  murder :  but  the  fact  that  it  was 
done  to  atone  for  her  false  husband's  treachery  on  the  other 
side  makes  it  easier  to  understand  why  the  Song  of  Deborah 
mentions  the  deed  with  triumph,  instead  of  condemning  its 
wickedness.  (3)  On  account  of  the  900  chariots  of  iron,  which 
foot  soldiers  could  not  well  fight  against,  the  only  hope  for 
Israel  was  a  surprise.  Accordingly  the  plan  was  to  muster 
silently,  Httle  by  little  on  the  hills,  and  seize  a  favourable  mo- 
ment for  a  rush  upon  Sisera's  forces.  But  this  was  prevented 
by  the  treachery  of  Heber  the  Kenite,  who  reported  to  Sisera. 
The  Canaanite  army,  with  its  chariots,  thus  filled  the  plain 
[called  Esdraelon:  hence  this  is  the  Battle  of  Esdraelon], 
which  was  just  what  was  wanted  for  the  free  movements  of 
chariots.  All  thus  seemed  hopeless  for  Israel.  But  a  sudden 
thunderstorm  came  [  The  stars  in  their  courses  fozight  against 
Sisera'],  followed  by  fierce  rain  which  swelled  the  waters  of 
the  river  Kishon,  until  the  whole  plain  was  a  marsh  [hence  the 
helpless  pransings  of  the  strong  horses,  trying  to  get  out  of  the 
mud].  As  a  result  Israel  was  able  to  destroy  the  whole  army 
while  they  were  caught  in  the  marsh.  —  Meroz  must  have  been 
some  city  on  the  line  of  retreat  of  the  Canaanites,  which  failed 
to  come  promptly  on  this  critical  day.  (4)  The  Song  of  Debo- 
rah, like  other  ancient  poetry  of  the  Hebrews,  was  accompanied 
with  timbrel  music  and  dancing:  Deborah  and  the  Women 
take  one  part,  Barak  and  the  Men  take  another,  and  sometimes 
they  sing  together.     Probably  the  '  refrains '  [printed  in  italics] 

194 


The    Judges  e«^  Notes 

were  the  parts  where  the  timbrel  music  and  dancing  broke  out 
most,  though  there  would  be  some  movement  all  through.  To 
get  the  general  effect,  boys  may  take  the  men's  part,  girls  the 
women's :  while  at  the  italic  passages  the  recitation  might  be 
accompanied  with  clapping  of  the  hands. 

Page  125.  The  LORD  sold  thein  uito  the  hand  of  Jabin:  for 
the  expression  sold  compare :  The  wages  of  sin  is  death  :  the 
Lord  is  poetically  described  as  exchanging  for  the  people's 
iniquity  the  price  of  slavery.  —  Page  129.  Tell  of  it  ye  that  ride 
on  white  asses  :  the  ass  was  the  regular  animal  for  riding  among 
the  Israelites.  The  reference  is  to  rulers.  The  Men  call  on  all 
men  to  rejoice,  whether  rulers  on  asses  or  common  people  by 
the  wayside  ;  then  the  Women  add  how  women,  in  their  place 
of  assembly,  the  places  of  drawing  water,  shall  sing  the  same 
deliverance. 

iv.  The  Midianites  were  a  people  leading  a  wandering  life 
in  the  deserts,  like  the  Arabian  Bedouins  we  read  of  today. 
They  had  camels  and  gorgeous  tents,  and  were  formidable  by 
their  vast  numbers.  There  are  vast  desert  regions  to  the  east 
of  Palestine :  hence  Midianites  and  similar  desert  peoples  are 
called  children  of  the  east.  It  is  natural  that  the  part  of  the 
holy  land  which  suffered  most  in  this  war  was  Gilead,  a  region 
east  of  the  river  Jordan.  Alajiasseh,  Asher,  Zebiilun,  Naphtali, 
are  all  tribes  of  Israel  called  upon  to  assist. 

V.  The  Ammonites  were  a  mountain  people  dwelling  east  of 
the  Jordan.  Israel  had  come  into  conflict  with  them  while 
passing  through  the  wilderness :  and  they  continued  through  all 
their  history  border  foes  of  the  Israelites.  —  Page  141.   Bewail 

195 


Notes  ^  Bible    Stories 

my  virginity  :  the  great  ambition  of  every  Hebrew  woman  was 
to  be  the  ancestress,  perhaps  even  the  mother,  of  the  promised 
Messiah.  Hence  Jephthah's  daughter  bewails  not  her  death, 
but  that  she  must  die  before  becoming  a  mother. 

vi.  Ashkelon  is  one  of  the  main  cities  of  the  Philistines,  all 
of  which  lie  along  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea. —  The 
cleft  of  the  rock  of  Etam  :  Samson  had  occupied  some  pass  in 
the  mountains,  so  narrow  that  he  alone  could  hold  it  against  a 
host.  —  A  Nazirite  :  the  total  abstainers  of  that  day :  they  were 
pledged  to  this  from  infancy,  and  in  token  of  the  pledge  wore 
hair  that  was  never  cut. 

vii.  A  daughter  of  Belial :  of  all  the  idolatries  to  which  the 
Israelites  yielded  that  of  Belial  was  the  most  contemptible : 
hence  a  man  of  Belial  h^cdime  an  expression  for  one  contempti- 
ble in  his  wickedness.  —  *  Samuel '  in  the  original  means  '  asked 
of  God.'  —  The  %vord  of  the  LORD  was  precious  in  those  days  : 
precious  is  an  old  English  word  for  scarce.  In  that  period 
when  the  priests  themselves  were  wicked  the  answers  of  God 
to  inquirers  became  rare,  and  (Uke  that  to  Samuel)  secret : 
There  was  no  open  vision.  —  God  do  so  to  thee,  and  more  also  : 
this  is  a  Hebrew  saymg,  used  in  solemn  charges.  —  The  ark 
of  the  covenant  was  the  sacred  chest  in  which  were  deposited 
(among  other  things)  the  Tables  written  by  the  finger  of  God 
with  the  ten  commandments :  it  was  the  most  sacred  emblem 
of  the  covenant  between  God  and  the  Chosen  People :  the  spot 
where  it  was  kept  was  regarded  as  the  very  presence  of  God. 
Hence  the  terror  of  the  Philistines  when  this  ark  was  brought 
into  the  battle.  —  Dagon :   the   chief  idol  of  the   Philistines : 

196 


The    Judges  S«-  Notes 

half  man,  half  fish,  the  Philistines  being  a  maritime  people, 
whose  cities  lay  along  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean. 

viii.  The  seer's  house  :  the  Bible  history  has  an  explanation 
here :  He  that  is  now  called  a  Prophet  was  beforethne  called  a 
Seer.  —  He  co?nmuned  with  Saul  upon  the  housetop:  the  flat 
roof  of  a  Hebrew  house  was  like  the  verandah  of  an  American 
house,  the  regular  place  for  resting  and  conversation.  In  the 
climate  of  that  land  they  could  often  sleep  there  all  night. — A 
band  of  prophets :  from  the  time  of  Samuel  we  find  regular 
schools  of  prophets,  like  the  monasteries  of  the  middle  ages. 
The  words  of  inspiration  were  accompanied  with  music  and 
bodily  motion  or  dancing. 

X.  Note  how  the  three  personages  of  this  important  story 
represent  the  three  main  weapons  of  ancient  warfare :  Saul  is 
great  with  the  spear,  Jonathan  is  the  hero  of  the  bow  and  arrow, 
and  David  of  the  sling.  These  were  the  first  forms  of  the 
modern  cavalry,  infantry,  artillery.  Page  179.  An  evil  spirit 
fro7n  God  :  this  is  an  expression  of  the  same  kind  as  that  which 
says  God  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart.  The  consequences  of  sin, 
though  they  take  the  form  of  an  evil  spirit,  are  said  to  be  sent 
by  God,  whose  providence  unites  suffering  with  sinning. — 
Page  180.  The  teraphim  :  an  idol  image.  —  Page  188.  Saying, 
Go  serve  other  gods  :  in  those  days  every  different  country  had 
different  religion :  hence  the  driving  David  out  of  Israel  was 
equivalent  to  bidding  him  serve  other  gods  than  the  Lord. 


197 


BIBLE    STORIES 

The  Kings  and  The  Prophets 


Introduction  to  The  kings  and  The 
Prophets 

In  the  fourth  period  of  its  history  Israel  was  governed 
by  visible  kings.  But  a  portion  of  the  nation  still  stood 
for  the  idea  of  looking  directly  to  the  Lord  for  the  guid- 
ance of  his  people.  They  were  represented  by  a  succession 
of  ''Prophets^  or  '■  interpreters  of  God,''  who  were  inspired 
to  fnake  objections  when  the  kings  were  leading  the  people 
astray.  Thus  the  history  of  this  period  took  the  form  of 
a  governmejit  by  kings  and  an  opposition  of  prophets. 

The  Bible  history  Jtow  gives,  in  regular  order,  descrip- 
tions of  the  kings  and  accounts  of  the  chief  events  of  each 
reign.  Such  history  cannot  be  well  represented  by  extracts, 
but  should  be  read  as  a  whole.  Its  most  important  parts, 
however,  are  where  the  77tere  narrative  of  eve?its  is  in- 
terrupted by  the  stories  of  the  prophets,  as  they  arose  one 
after  another  to  take  part  in  Israelis  affairs.  It  is  chiefly 
these  stories  of  the  prophets  which  are  represented  i?i  the 
present  selection. 

David  was  the  founder  of  the  Israelite  monarchy.  He 
was  the  first  to  gather  the  scattered  settlements  of  his  people 
into  a  united  nation.  He  made  the  city  of  Jerusalem, 
which  he  captured  from  the  Jebusites,  his  7netropolis.    Un- 


Introduction  ^  Bible    Stories 

like  other  conquerors  of  history^  he  was  a  poet  and  7misi- 
cian^  and  laid  the  foiuidations  of  his  country's  literature. 
He  also  established  a  ritual  of  worships  and  collected  the 
materials  for  the  Te?nple  which  his  successor  was  to  build. 
David  was  so  7nuch  '  the  man  after  God^s  own  heart '  that 
there  was  not  much  roo7n  in  his  reign  for  prophetic  oppo- 
sition, Btit  one  of  our  stories  relates  the  great  sin  of 
David,  and  the  prophet  Nathan''s  rebuke.  As  one  conse- 
quence of  this  sin  David  had  continual  trouble  i?i  his 
family,  and  a  second  story  is  devoted  to  the  Rebellio7i 
of  Absalom. 

Solomon  completed  the  Temple  which  his  father  had 
plattned;  this  was  the  centre  of  the  national  religio7i,  and 
one  of  the  most  wonderful  buildings  of  antiqiiity .  He  also 
extended  the  commerce  of  Israel  to  distant  parts  of  the 
world.  But,  while  all  this  made  Solomoji's  reign  the  most 
splendid  portion  of  IsraeVs  history,  it  also  introduced 
luxury  a?id  other  kinds  of  trouble.  Solomon'^s  greatest 
personal  distinction  is  the  fact  that  he  appears  as  the 
founder  of  the  Philosophy,  or  as  it  was  called  ^Wisdom,'' 
of  the  Hebrews.  One  of  the  stories  in  this  series  is  con- 
nected with  the  wisdom  of  Solomon. 

Under  Solo?non^s  soft  Rehoboam  the  division  took  place, 
which  is  the  subject  of  one  of  our  stories.  Henceforward 
there  were  two  separate  kingdojus.  Only  two  of  the  twelve 
tribes  followed  Rehoboam,  and  these  made  up  the  kingdom 
of  Judah ;   to  this  however  belonged  Jerusalem  and  the 


Kings    and    Prophets  ^  Introduction 

Temple.  The  ten  tribes^  under  their  leader  Jeroboam,  set 
up  the  northern  Kingdom,  usually  called  the  kingdom 
of  Israel,  and  built  the  great  City  of  Samaria  as  a  rival 
to  Jerusalem. 

The  Bible  history  deals  most  fdly  with  the  no7'thern 
kingdom  of  Israel,  in  which  the  chief  stricggle  between 
kings  and  prophets  took  place.  After  a  succession  of  tnany 
kings,  and  several  revolutions,  there  came  to  the  throne 
the  supremely  wicked  family  of  Omri,  of  which  the  chief 
representative  was  King  Ahab.  He  had  for  queen  the 
infa?notts  Jezebel,  a  princess  of  the  great  merchant  city 
Zidoti ;  in  their  reign  the  worship  of  the  foreigjt  god  Baal 
was  set  up  iti  Israel  in  afitagonistn  with  that  of  Jehovah. 
The  crisis  brought  out  Elijah,  greatest  of  the  prophets ; 
and  the  Story  of  Elijah  is  here  given  at  length.  As  Moses 
chose  a  successor  in  Joshua,  so  Elijah  left  Elisha  to  carry 
on  his  work :  the  wonder  stories  of  this  prophet  are  in 
part  given  below.  The  kingdojn  of  Israel  becatne  more 
and  7nore  corrupt,  until  at  last  it  fell  before  the  Assyrians, 
the  oriental  people  who  were  at  that  time  overru7ining 
large  parts  of  the  world.  The  ten  tribes  were  carried 
away  into  captivity,  and  lost  atftong  the  popjdatiotis  of 
the  far  East. 

Meanwhile,  the  kingdo?n   of  Judah  had  its  succession 

of  riders,  its  sitts,  and  its  revolutions ;  but  taken  as  a 

whole  showed  much  more  fidelity  to  the  worship  of  God 

than  the  sister  kingdotn.     Two  names  stand  out  promi- 

203 


Introduction  ^  Bible  Storie 


nent  from  its  list  of  kings.  Under  the  pious  Hezekiah 
Jiidah  was  threatened  by  Assyrian  invasion,  and  fern- 
salem  was  besieged  by  the  armies  of  Sennacherib.  Here 
appeared  the  great  prophet  Isaiah,  and  kept  the  kifig  and 
people  firm  to  their  trust  in  the  Lord.  The  famous 
story  of  the  overthrow  of  Semiacherib  is  one  of  those  here 
given.  Josiah  was  no  less  pious  than  Hezekiah.  In  his 
reigji  was  suddenly  discovered  the  '■  Book  of  the  Law '  : 
what  exactly  this  book  was  is  not  now  known,  bid  the  dis- 
covery led  to  a  religious  revolution,  which  is  coinmemo- 
rated  in  the  final  story  of  this  series.  At  last  the  corrupted 
kingdojn  of  fudah  in  its  iurfi  was  overthrown  by  another 
Eastern  people,  the  Chaldeans ;  and  large  part  of  the 
fews  carried  captive  to  the  Chaldea7t  city  of  Babylon. 
204 


Stories  from  The  Kings  and  The 
Prophets 

i.     David  and  the  Prophet  Nathan 
ii.     The  Revolt  of  Absalom 
iii.     The  Wisdom  of  Solomon 
iv.     Story  of  the  Divided  Kingdom 
V.     Stories  of  the  Prophet  Elijah 

Elijah  and  the  Prophets  of  Baal 

Elijah  in  the  Desert 

The  Story  of  Naboth's  Vineyard 

Ascent  of  Elijah  to  Heaven 

vi.     Stories  of  the  Prophet  Elisha 
The  Shunannnite'^s  Son 
Naaman  and  Gehazi 

vii.     The  Assyrian  Army  and  the  Prophet  Isaiah 
viii.     Josiah  and  the  Finding  of  the  Law 
205 


David  and  the  Prophet  Nathan 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that  David  walked  upon  the  roof 
of  the  king's  house  :  and  from  the  roof  he  saw  a  woman  : 
and  the  woman  was  very  beautiful  to  look  upon.  And 
David  sent  and  inquired  after  the  woman.  And  one  said, 
Is  not  this  Bath-sheba,  the  wife  of  Uriah  the  Hittite  ?  And 
David  sent  messengers,  and  took  her. 

And  David  wrote  a  letter  to  Joab,  saying,  Set  ye  Uriah 
in  the  forefront  of  the  hottest  battle,  and  retire  ye  from 
him,  that  he  may  be  smitten,  and  die.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  Joab  kept  watch  upon  the  city,  that  he  assigned 
Uriah  unto  the  place  where  he  knew  that  valiant  men  were. 
And  the  men  of  the  city  went  out,  and  fought  with  Joab : 
and  there  fell  some  of  the  people,  even  of  the  servants  of 
David ;  and  Uriah  the  Hittite  died  also.  And  when  the 
wife  of  Uriah  heard  that  Uriah  her  husband  was  dead,  she 
made  lamentation  for  her  husband.  And  when  the  mourn- 
ing was  past,  David  sent  and  took  her  home  to  his  house, 
and  she  became  his  wife,  and  bare  him  a  son.  But  the 
thing  that  David  had  done  displeased  the  Lord. 

And  the  Lord  sent  Nathan  unto  David.  And  he  came 
207 


Nathan  ^  Bible    Stories 

unto  him,  and  said  unto  him,  There  were  two  men  in  one 
city ;  the  one  rich,  and  the  other  poor.  The  rich  man 
had  exceeding  many  flocks  and  herds :  but  the  poor  man 
had  nothing,  save  one  Httle  ewe  lamb,  which  he  had 
bought  and  nourished  up :  and  it  grew  up  together  with 
him,  and  with  his  children ;  it  did  eat  of  his  own  morsel, 
and  drank  of  his  own  cup,  and  lay  in  his  bosom,  and  was 
unto  him  as  a  daughter.  And  there  came  a  traveller  unto 
the  rich  man,  and  he  spared  to  take  of  his  own  flock  and 
of  his  own  herd,  to  dress  for  the  wayfaring  man  that  was 
come  unto  him,  but  took  the  poor  man's  lamb,  and  dressed 
it  for  the  man  that  was  come  to  him.  And  David's  anger 
was  greatly  kindled  against  the  man ;  and  he  said  to 
Nathan,  As  the  Lord  liveth,  the  man  that  hath  done  this 
is  worthy  to  die :  and  he  shall  restore  the  lamb  fourfold, 
because  he  did  this  thing,  and  because  he  had  no  pity. 
And  Nathan  said  to  David,  Thou  art  the  man.  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  I  anointed  thee  king 
over  Israel,  and  I  delivered  thee  out  of  the  hand  of  Saul ; 
and  I  gave  thee  thy  master's  house,  and  gave  thee  the 
house  of  Israel  and  of  Judah ;  and  if  that  had  been  too 
little,  I  w^ould  have  added  unto  thee  such  and  such  things- 
Wherefore  hast  thou  despised  the  word  of  the  Lord,  to  do 
that  which  is  evil  in  his  sight?  thou  hast  smitten  Uriah  the 
Hittite  with  the  sword,  and  hast  taken  his  wife  to  be  thy 
wife,  and  hast  slain  him  with  the  sword  of  the  children  of 
Amnion.  Now  therefore,  the  sword  shall  never  depart 
208 


Kings    and    Prophets  6«-  Absalom 

from  thine  house.  And  David  said  unto  Nathan,  I  have 
sinned  against  the  Lord.  And  Nathan  said  unto  David, 
The  Lord  also  hath  put  away  thy  sin ;  thou  shalt  not  die. 
Howbeit,  because  by  this  deed  thou  hast  given  great  occa- 
sion to  the  enemies  of  the  Lord  to  blaspheme,  the  child 
also  that  is  born  unto  thee  shall  surely  die.  And  Nathan 
departed  unto  his  house. 


11 

The  Revolt  of  Absalom 

Now  in  all  Israel  there  was  none  to  be  so  much  praised 
as  Absalom  for  his  beauty :  from  the  sole  of  his  foot  even 
to  the  crown  of  his  head  there  was  no  blemish  in  him. 
And  when  he  polled  his  head,  (now  it  was  at  every  year's 
end  that  he  polled  it :  because  the  hair  was  heavy  on  him, 
therefore  he  polled  it :)  he  weighed  the  hair  of  his  head 
at  two  hundred  shekels,  after  the  king's  weight. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that  Absalom  prepared  him  a 
chariot  and  horses,  and  fifty  men  to  run  before  him.  And 
Absalom  rose  up  early,  and  stood  beside  the  way  of  the 
gate  :  and  it  was  so,  that  when  any  man  had  a  suit  which 
should  come  to  the  king  for  judgement,  then  Absalom 
called  unto  him,  and  said.  Of  what  city  art  thou?  And  he 
said,  Thy  servant  is  of  one  of  the  tribes  of  Israel.  And 
p  209 


Absalom  ^  Bible    Stories 

Absalom  said  unto  him,  See,  thy  matters  are  good  and 
right ;  but  there  is  no  man  deputed  of  the  king  to  hear 
thee.  Absalom  said  moreover,  Oh  that  I  were  made  judge 
in  the  land,  that  every  man  which  hath  any  suit  or  cause 
might  come  unto  me,  and  I  would  do  him  justice!  And 
it  was  so,  that  when  any  man  came  nigh  to  do  him  obei- 
sance, he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  took  hold  of  him,  and 
kissed  him.  And  on  this  manner  did  Absalom  to  all 
Israel  that  came  to  the  king  for  judgement :  so  Absalom 
stole  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel. 

And  there  came  a  messenger  to  David,  saying.  The 
hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel  are  after  Absalom.  And  David 
said  unto  all  his  servants  that  were  with  him  at  Jerusalem, 
Arise,  and  let  us  flee ;  for  else  none  of  us  shall  escape 
from  Absalom  :  make  speed  to  depart,  lest  he  overtake  us 
quickly,  and  bring  down  evil  upon  us,  and  smite  the  city 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword.  And  the  king's  servants  said 
unto  the  king.  Behold,  thy  ser\-ants  are  ready  to  do  what- 
soever my  lord  the  king  shall  choose.  And  the  king  went 
forth,  and  all  his  household  after  him. 

And  David  went  up  by  the  ascent  of  the  mount  of 
Olives,  and  wept  as  he  went  up ;  and  he  had  his  head 
covered,  and  went  barefoot :  and  all  the  people  that  were 
with  him  covered  every  man  his  head,  and  they  went  up, 
weeping  as  they  went  up. 

And  when  king  David  came  to  Bahurim,  behold,  there 
came  out  thence  a  man  of  the  family  of  the  house  of  Saul, 


Kings    and    Prophets  8«-  Absalom 

whose  name  was  Shimei :  he  came  out,  and  cursed  still  as 
he  came.  And  he  cast  stones  at  David,  and  at  all  the 
servants  of  king  David:  and  all  the  people  and  all  the 
mighty  men  were  on  his  right  hand  and  on  his  left.  And 
thus  said  Shimei  when  he  cursed,  Begone,  begone,  thou 
man  of  blood,  and  man  of  Belial :  the  Lord  hath  returned 
upon  thee  all  the  blood  of  the  house  of  Saul,  in  whose  stead 
thou  hast  reigned ;  and  the  Lord  hath  delivered  the  king- 
dom into  the  hand  of  Absalom  thy  son :  and,  behold,  thou 
art  taken  in  thine  own  mischief,  because  thou  art  a  man 
of  blood.  Then  said  Abishai  the  son  of  Zeruiah  unto  the 
king,  Why  should  this  dead  dog  curse  my  lord  the  king? 
let  me  go  over,  I  pray  thee,  and  take  off  his  head.  And 
the  king  said,  Because  he  curseth,  and  because  the  Lord 
hath  said  unto  him.  Curse  David;  who  then  shall  say. 
Wherefore  hast  thou  done  so?  And  David  said  to  Abi- 
shai, and  to  all  his  servants,  Behold,  my  son  seeketh  my 
life:  how  much  more  may  this  Benjamite  now  do  it?  let 
him  alone,  and  let  him  curse ;  for  the  Lord  hath  bidden 
him.  It  may  be  that  the  Lord  will  look  on  the  wrong 
done  unto  me,  and  that  the  Lord  will  requite  me  good  for 
his  cursing  of  me  this  day.  So  David  and  his  men  went 
by  the  way :  and  Shimei  went  along  on  the  hill  side  over 
against  him,  and  cursed  as  he  went,  and  threw  stones  at 
him,  and  cast  dust. 

Then  David  came  to  Mahanaim.     And  Absalom  passed 
over  Jordan,  he  and  all  the  men  of  Israel  with  him.     And 

211 


Absalom  ^  Bible    Stories 

Israel  and  Absalom  pitched  in  the  land  of  Gilead.  And 
David  numbered  the  people  that  were  with  him,  and  set 
captains  of  thousands  and  captains  of  hundreds  over  them. 
And  the  king  said  unto  the  people,  I  will  surely  go  forth 
with  you  myself  also.  But  the  people  said,  Thou  shalt 
not  go  forth :  for  if  we  flee  away,  they  will  not  care  for 
us ;  neither  if  half  of  us  die,  will  they  care  for  us :  but 
thou  art  worth  ten  thousand  of  us  :  therefore  now  it  is 
better  that  thou  be  ready  to  succour  us  out  of  the  city. 
And  the  king  said  unto  them,  What  seemeth  you  best  I 
will  do.  And  the  king  stood  by  the  gate  side,  and  all  the 
people  went  out  by  hundreds  and  by  thousands.  And  the 
king  commanded,  saying,  Deal  gently  for  my  sake  with 
the  young  man,  even  with  Absalom.  And  all  the  people 
heard  when  the  king  gave  all  the  captains  charge  concern- 
ing Absalom.  So  the  people  went  out  into  the  field  against 
Israel :  and  the  battle  was  in  the  forest  of  Ephraim.  And 
the  people  of  Israel  were  smitten  there  before  the  servants 
of  David,  and  there  was  a  great  slaughter  there  that  day  of 
twenty  thousand  men.  For  the  battle  was  there  spread 
over  the  face  of  all  the  country :  and  the  forest  devoured 
more  people  that  day  than  the  sword  devoured.  And 
Absalom  chanced  to  meet  the  servants  of  David.  And 
Absalom  rode  upon  his  mule,  and  the  mule  went  under 
the  thick  boughs  of  a  great  oak,  and  his  head  caught  hold 
of  the  oak,  and  he  was  taken  up  between  the  heaven  and 
the  earth ;   and  the  mule   that  was  under  him  went  on. 

212 


Kings    and    Prophets  6«-  Absalom 

And  a  certain  man  saw  it,  and  told  Joab,  and  said,  Behold, 
I  saw  Absalom  hanging  in  an  oak.  And  Joab  said  unto 
the  man  that  told  him,  And,  behold,  thou  sawest  it,  and 
why  didst  thou  not  smite  him  there  to  the  ground?  and  I 
would  have  given  thee  ten  pieces  of  silver,  and  a  girdle. 
And  the  man  said  unto  Joab,  Though  I  should  receive  a 
thousand  pieces  of  silver  in  mine  hand,  yet  would  I  not 
put  forth  mine  hand  against  the  king's  son :  for  in  our 
hearing  the  king  charged,  saying,  Beware  that  none  touch 
the  young  man  Absalom.  Otherwise  if  I  had  dealt  falsely 
against  his  life,  (and  there  is  no  matter  hid  from  the  king,) 
then  thou  thyself  wouldest  have  stood  aloof.  Then  said 
Joab,  I  may  not  tarry  thus  with  thee.  And  he  took  three 
darts  in  his  hand,  and  thrust  them  through  the  heart  of 
Absalom,  while  he  was  yet  alive  in  the  midst  of  the  oak. 
And  ten  young  men  that  bare  Joab's  armour  compassed 
about  and  smote  Absalom,  and  slew  him.  And  Joab  blew 
the  trumpet,  and  the  people  returned  from  pursuing  after 
Israel:  for  Joab  held  back  the  people.  And  they  took 
Absalom  and  cast  him  into  the  great  pit  in  the  forest,  and 
raised  over  him  a  very  great  heap  of  stones  :  and  all  Israel 
fled  every  one  to  his  tent. 

Then  said  Ahimaaz  the  son  of  Zadok,  Let  me  now  run, 
and  bear  the  king  tidings,  how  that  the  Lord  hath 
avenged  him  of  his  enemies.  And  Joab  said  unto  him, 
Thou  shalt  not  be  the  bearer  of  tidings  this  day,  but  thou 
shalt  bear  tidings  another  day:  but  this  day  thou  shalt 
213 


Absalom  ^  Bible    Stories 

bear  no  tidings,  because  the  king's  son  is  dead.  Then 
said  Joab  to  the  Cushite,  Go  tell  the  king  what  thou  hast 
seen.  And  the  Cushite  bowed  himself  unto  Joab,  and 
ran.  Then  said  Ahimaaz  the  son  of  Zadok  yet  again  to 
Joab,  But  come  what  may,  let  me,  I  pray  thee,  also  run 
after  the  Cushite.  And  Joab  said.  Wherefore  wilt  thou 
run,  my  son,  seeing  that  thou  wilt  have  no  reward  for  the 
tidings  ?  But  come  what  may,  said  he,  I  will  run.  And 
he  said  unto  him,  Run.  Then  Ahimaaz  ran  by  the  way 
of  the  Plain,  and  overran  the  Cushite. 

Now  David  sat  between  the  two  gates  :  and  the  watch- 
man went  up  to  the  roof  of  the  gate  unto  the  wall,  and 
lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  looked,  and,  behold,  a  man  running 
alone.  And  the  watchman  cried,  and  told  the  king. 
And  the  king  said.  If  he  be  alone,  there  is  tidings  in  his 
mouth.  And  he  came  apace,  and  drew  near.  And  the 
watchman  saw  another  man  running :  and  the  watchman 
called  unto  the  porter,  and  said.  Behold,  another  man 
running  alone.  And  the  king  said.  He  also  bringeth 
tidings.  And  the  watchman  said,  Me  thinketh  the  run- 
ning of  the  foremost  is  like  the  running  of  Ahimaaz  the 
son  of  Zadok.  And  the  king  said,  He  is  a  good  man,  and 
Cometh  with  good  tidings.  And  Ahimaaz  called,  and 
said  unto  the  king.  All  is  well.  And  he  bowed  himself 
before  the  king  with  his  face  to  the  earth,  and  said,  Blessed 
be  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  hath  delivered  up  the  men 
that  lifted  up  their  hand  against  my  lord  the  king.  And 
214 


Kings    and    Prophets  8«^  Solomon 

the  king  said,  Is  it  well  with  the  young  man  Absalom? 
And  Ahimaaz  answered,  When  Joab  sent  the  king's  ser- 
vant, even  me  thy  servant,  I  saw  a  great  tumult,  but  I 
knew  not  what  it  was.  And  the  king  said,  Turn  aside, 
and  stand  here.  And  he  turned  aside,  and  stood  still. 
And,  behold,  the  Cushite  came ;  and  the  Cushite  said. 
Tidings  for  my  lord  the  king :  for  the  Lord  hath  avenged 
thee  this  day  of  all  them  that  rose  up  against  thee.  And 
the  king  said  unto  the  Cushite,  Is  it  well  with  the  young 
man  Absalom  ?  And  the  Cushite  answered.  The  enemies 
of  my  lord  the  king,  and  all  that  rise  up  against  thee  to 
do  thee  hurt,  be  as  that  young  man  is.  And  the  king 
was  much  moved,  and  went  up  to  the  chamber  over  the 
gate  and  wept :  and  as  he  went,  thus  he  said,  O  my  son 
Absalom,  my  son,  my  son  Absalom!  would  God  I  had 
died  for  thee,  O  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son! 


Ill 

The  Wisdom  of  Solomon 

And  the  king  went  to  Gibeon  to  sacrifice  there ;  for 
that  was  the  great  high  place  :  a  thousand  burnt  offerings 
did  Solomon  offer  upon  that  altar.  In  Gibeon  the  Lord 
appeared  to  Solomon  in  a  dream  by  night :  and  God  said. 
Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee.     And  Solomon    said,  Thou 

215 


Solomon  ^  Bible    Stories 

hast  shewed  unto  thy  sen'arxt  David  my  father  great  kind- 
ness, according  as  he  walked  before  thee  in  truth,  and  in 
righteousness,  and  in  uprightness  of  heart  with  thee  ;  and 
thou  hast  kept  for  him  this  great  kindness,  that  thou  hast 
given  him  a  son  to  sit  on  his  throne,  as  it  is  this  day. 
And  now^  O  Lord  my  God,  thou  hast  made  thy  ser^^ant 
king  instead  of  David  my  father :  and  I  am  but  a  little 
child ;  I  know  not  how  to  go  out  or  come  in.  And  thy 
servant  is  in  the  midst  of  thy  people  which  thou  hast 
chosen,  a  great  people,  that  cannot  be  numbered  nor 
counted  for  multitude.  Give  thy  servant  therefore  an 
understanding  heart  to  judge  thy  people,  that  I  may  dis- 
cern between  good  and  evil ;  for  who  is  able  to  judge  this 
thy  great  people  ?  And  the  speech  pleased  the  Lord,  that 
Solomon  had  asked  this  thing.  And  God  said  unto  him, 
Because  thou  hast  asked  this  thing,  and  hast  not  asked 
for  thyself  long  life ;  neither  hast  asked  riches  for  thy- 
self, nor  hast  asked  the  life  of  thine  enemies ;  but  hast 
asked  for  thyself  understanding  to  discern  judgement ;  be- 
hold, I  have  done  according  to  thy  word :  lo,  I  have  given 
thee  a  wise  and  an  understanding  heart ;  so  that  there 
hath  been  none  like  thee  before  thee,  neither  after  thee 
shall  any  arise  like  unto  thee.  And  I  have  also  given 
thee  that  which  thou  hast  not  asked,  both  riches  and 
honour,  so  that  there  shall  not  be  any  among  the  kings 
like  unto  thee,  all  thy  days.  And  if  thou  wilt  walk  in  my 
ways,  to  keep  my  statutes  and  my  commandments,  as  thy 
216 


Kings    and    Prophets  8^  Solomon 

father  David  did  walk,  then  I  will  lengthen  thy  days. 
And  Solomon  awoke,  and  behold,  it  was  a  dream :  and 
he  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  stood  before  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord,  and  offered  up  burnt  offerings, 
and  offered  peace  offerings,  and  made  a  feast  to  all  his 
servants. 

Then  came  there  two  women  unto  the  king,  and  stood 
before  him.  And  the  one  woman  said.  Oh  my  lord,  I  and 
this  woman  dwell  in  one  house ;  and  we  were  together ; 
there  was  no  stranger  Avith  us  in  the  house,  save  we  two 
in  the  house.  And  this  woman's  child  died  in  the  night ; 
because  she  overlaid  it.  And  she  arose  at  midnight,  and 
took  my  son  from  beside  me,  while  thine  handmaid  slept, 
and  laid  it  in  her  bosom,  and  laid  her  dead  child  in  my 
bosom.  And  when  I  rose  in  the  morning  to  give  my  child 
suck,  behold,  it  was  dead :  but  when  I  had  considered  it 
in  the  morning,  behold,  it  was  not  my  son,  which  I  did 
bear.  And  the  other  woman  said,  Nay  ;  but  the  living  is 
my  son,  and  the  dead  is  thy  son.  And  this  said  No  ;  but 
the  dead  is  thy  son,  and  the  living  is  my  son.  Thus  they 
spake  before  the  king.  Then  said  the  king.  The  one  saith, 
This  is  my  son  that  liveth,  and  thy  son  is  the  dead :  and 
the  other  saith.  Nay ;  but  thy  son  is  the  dead,  and  my  son 
is  the  living.  And  the  king  said,  Fetch  me  a  sword.  And 
they  brought  a  sword  before  the  king.  And  the  king  said, 
Divide  the  living  child  in  two,  and  give  half  to  the  one, 
and  half  to  the  other.  Then  spake  the  woman  whose  the 
217 


Solomon  -^  Bible    Stories 

living  child  was  unto  the  king,  Oh  my  lord,  give  her  the 
living  child,  and  in  no  wise  slay  it.  But  the  other  said,  It 
shall  be  neither  mine  nor  thine  ;  divide  it.  Then  the  king 
answered  and  said,  Give  her  the  living  child,  and  in  no 
wise  slay  it:  she  is  the  mother  thereof.  And  all  Israel 
heard  of  the  judgement  which  the  king  had  judged ;  and 
they  feared  the  king :  for  they  saw  that  the  wisdom  of 
God  was  in  him,  to  do  judgement. 

And  when  the  queen  of  Sheba  heard  of  the  fame  of 
Solomon  concerning  the  name  of  the  Lord,  she  came  to 
prove  him  with  hard  questions.  And  she  came  to  Jeru- 
salem with  a  very  great  train,  with  camels  that  bare  spices, 
and  very  much  gold,  and  precious  stones  :  and  when  she  was 
come  to  Solomon,  she  communed  with  him  of  all  that  was 
in  her  heart.  And  Solomon  told  her  all  her  questions : 
there  was  not  anything  hid  from  the  king  which  he  told 
her  not.  And  when  the  queen  of  Sheba  had  seen  all  the 
wisdom  of  Solomon,  and  the  house  that  he  had  built,  and 
the  meat  of  his  table,  and  the  sitting  of  his  servants,  and 
the  attendance  of  his  ministers,  and  their  apparel,  and  his 
cupbearers,  and  his  ascent  by  which  he  went  up  unto  the 
house  of  the  Lord  ;  there  was  no  more  spirit  in  her.  And 
she  said  to  the  king.  It  was  a  true  report  that  1  heard 
in  mine  own  land  of  thine  acts,  and  of  thy  wisdom. 
Howbeit  I  beheved  not  the  words,  until  I  came,  and  mine 
eyes  had  seen  it :  and,  behold,  the  half  was  not  told  me : 
thy  wisdom  and  prosperity  exceedeth  the  fame  which  I  heard. 
218 


Kings    and    Prophets  S«^  Rehoboam 

Happy  are  thy  men.  happy  are  these  thy  servants,  which 
stand  continually  before  thee,  and  that  hear  thy  wisdom. 
Blessed  be  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  delighted  in  thee,  to 
set  thee  on  the  throne  of  Israel :  because  the  Lord  loved 
Israel  for  ever,  therefore  made  he  thee  king,  to  do  judge- 
ment and  justice. 


IV 

Story  of  the  Divided  Kingdom 

And  Rehoboam  went  to  Shechem :  for  all  Israel  were 
come  to  Shechem  to  make  him  king.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat  heard  of  it,  that  Jero- 
boam and  all  the  congregation  of  Israel  came,  and  spake 
unto  Rehoboam,  saying.  Thy  father  made  our  yoke  griev- 
ous :  now  therefore  make  thou  the  grievous  service  of  thy 
father,  and  his  heavy  yoke  which  he  put  upon  us,  lighter, 
and  we  will  serve  thee.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Depart 
yet  for  three  days,  then  come  again  to  me.  And  the 
people  departed. 

And  king  Rehoboam  took  counsel  with  the  old  men, 
that  had  stood  before  Solomon  his  father  while  he  yet 
lived,  saying,  What  counsel  give  ye  me  to  return  answer 
to  this  people  ?  And  they  spake  unto  him,  saying,  If 
thou  wilt  be  a  servant  unto  this  people  this  day,  and  wilt 
219 


Rehoboam  ^  Bible    Stories 

serve  them,  and  answer  them,  and  speak  good  words  to 
them,  then  they  will  be  thy  servants  for  ever.  But  he 
forsook  the  counsel  of  the  old  men  which  they  had  given 
him,  and  took  counsel  with  the  young  men  that  were 
grown  up  with  him,  that  stood  before  him.  And  he  said 
unto  them.  What  counsel  give  ye  that  we  may  return 
answer  to  this  people,  who  have  spoken  to  me,  saying, 
Make  the  yoke  that  thy  father  did  put  upon  us  lighter  ? 
And  the  young  men  that  were  grown  up  with  him  spake 
unto  him,  saying.  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  this  people  that 
spake  unto  thee,  saying.  Thy  father  made  our  yoke  heavy, 
but  make  thou  it  lighter  unto  us ;  thus  shalt  thou  speak 
unto  them.  My  little  finger  is  thicker  than  my  father's  loins. 
And  now  whereas  my  father  did  lade  you  with  a  heavy 
yoke,  I  will  add  to  your  yoke :  my  father  chastised  you 
with  whips,  but  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions. 

So  Jeroboam  and  all  the  people  came  to  Rehoboam  the 
third  day,  as  the  king  bade,  saying.  Come  to  me  again  the 
third  day.  And  the  king  answered  the  people  roughly,  and 
forsook  the  counsel  of  the  old  men  which  they  had  given 
him;  and  spake  to  them  after  the  counsel  of  the  young 
men,  saying.  My  father  made  your  yoke  heavy,  but  I  will 
add  to  your  yoke :  my  father  chastised  you  with  whips, 
but  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions.  So  the  king 
hearkened  not  unto  the  people ;  and  when  all  Israel  saw 
that  the  king  hearkened  not  unto  them,  the  people  an- 
swered the  king,  saying,  What  portion  have  we  in  David  ? 


Kings    and    Prophets  6«-  Elijah 

neither  have  we  inheritance  in  the  son  of  Jesse :  to  your 
tents,  O  Israel:  now  see  to  thine  own  house,  David.  So 
Israel  departed  unto  their  tents.  But  as  for  the  children 
of  Israel  which  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  Judah,  Rehoboam 
reigned  over  them. 


Stories  of  the  Prophet  Elijah 

Elijah  and  the  Prophets  of  Baal 

And  Ahab  the  son  of  Omri  reigned  over  Israel  in  Sama- 
ria twenty  and  two  years.  And  Ahab  the  son  of  Omri  did 
that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  above  all  that 
were  before  him.  And  he  took  to  wife  Jezebel  the  daugh- 
ter of  Ethbaal  king  of  the  Zidonians,  and  went  and  served 
Baal,  and  worshipped  him.  And  he  reared  up  an  altar  for 
Baal  in  the  house  of  Baal,  which  he  had  built  in  Samaria. 

And  Elijah  the  Tishbite  said  unto  Ahab,  As  the  Lord, 
the  God  of  Israel,  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  there  shall 
not  be  dew  nor  rain  these  years,  but  according  to  my  word. 
And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  him,  saying.  Get 
thee  hence,  and  turn  thee  eastward,  and  hide  thyself  by 
the  brook  Cherith,  that  is  before  Jordan.  And  it  shall  be, 
that  thou  shalt  drink  of  the  brook ;  and  I  have  commanded 
the  ravens  to  feed  thee  there.     So  he  went  and  did  ac- 

221 


Elijah  -»S  Bible    Stories 

cording  unto  the  word  of  the  Lord  :  for  he  went  and 
dwelt  by  the  brook  Cherith,  that  is  before  Jordan.  And 
the  ravens  brought  him  bread  and  flesh  in  the  morning, 
and  bread  and  flesh  in  the  evening ;  and  he  drank  of  the 
brook. 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  many  days,  that  the  word  of 
the  Lord  came  to  Elijah,  in  the  third  year,  saying.  Go, 
shew  thyself  unto  Ahab ;  and  I  will  send  rain  upon  the 
earth.  And  Elijah  went  to  shew  himself  unto  Ahab.  And 
the  famine  was  sore  in  Samaria.  And  Ahab  called  Oba- 
diah,  which  was  over  the  household.  (Now  Obadiah 
feared  the  Lord  greatly :  for  it  was  so,  when  Jezebel  cut 
off  the  prophets  of  the  Lord,  that  Obadiah  took  an  hun- 
dred prophets,  and  hid  them  by  fifty  in  a  cave,  and  fed 
them  with  bread  and  water.)  And  Ahab  said  unto  Oba- 
diah, Go  through  the  land,  unto  all  the  fountains  of  water, 
and  unto  all  the  brooks :  peradventure  we  may  find  grass 
and  save  the  horses  and  mules  alive,  that  we  lose  not  all 
the  beasts.  So  they  divided  the  land  between  them  to 
pass  throughout  it :  Ahab  went  one  way  by  himself,  and 
Obadiah  went  another  way  by  himself.  And  as  Obadiah 
was  in  the  way,  behold,  Elijah  met  him  :  and  he  knew  him, 
and  fell  on  his  face,  and  said,  Is  it  thou,  my  lord  Elijah  ? 
And  he  answered  him.  It  is  I :  go,  tell  thy  lord,  Behold, 
Elijah  is  here.  And  he  said.  Wherein  have  I  sinned,  that 
thou  wouldest  deliver  thy  servant  into  the  hand  of  Ahab,  to 
slay  me  ?     As  the  Lord  thy  God  liveth,  there  is  no  nation 


Kings    and    Prophets  8«^  Elijah 

or  kingdom,  whither  my  lord  hath  not  sent  to  seek  thee : 
and  when  they  said,  He  is  not  here,  he  took  an  oath  of  the 
kingdom  and  nation,  that  they  found  thee  not.  And  now 
thou  sayest.  Go,  tell  thy  lord,  Behold,  Elijah  is  here. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  as  soon  as  I  am  gone  from  thee, 
that  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  carry  thee  whither  I  know 
not ;  and  so  when  I  come  and  tell  Ahab,  and  he  cannot 
find  thee,  he  shall  slay  me :  but  I  thy  servant  fear  the 
Lord  from  my  youth.  Was  it  not  told  my  lord  what  I  did 
when  Jezebel  slew  the  prophets  of  the  Lord,  how  I  hid 
an  hundred  men  of  the  Lord's  prophets  by  fifty  in  a  cave, 
and  fed  them  with  bread  and  water  ?  And  now  thou  say- 
est, Go,  tell  thy  lord.  Behold,  Elijah  is  here  :  and  he  shall 
slay  me.  And  Elijah  said,  As  the  Lord  of  hosts  liveth, 
before  whom  I  stand,  I  will  surely  shew  myself  unto  him 
today.  So  Obadiah  went  to  meet  Ahab,  and  told  him : 
and  Ahab  went  to  meet  Elijah.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
Ahab  saw  Elijah,  that  Ahab  said  unto  him.  Is  it  thou,  thou 
troubler  of  Israel  ?  And  he  answered,  I  have  not  troubled 
Israel ;  but  thou,  and  thy  father's  house,  in  that  ye  have 
forsaken  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  thou  hast 
followed  the  Baalim.  Now  therefore  send,  and  gather  to 
me  all  Israel  unto  mount  Carmel,  and  the  prophets  of  Baal 
four  hundred  and  fifty,  and  the  prophets  of  the  Asherah 
four  hundred,  which  eat  at  Jezebel's  table. 

So  Ahab  sent  unto  all  the  children  of  Israel,  and  gath- 
ered the  prophets  together  unto  mount  Carmel.     And  Eli- 
223 


Elijah  -^  Bible    Stories 

jah  came  near  unto  all  the  people,  and  said,  How  long  halt 
ye  between  two  opinions  ?  if  the  Lord  be  God,  follow  him  : 
but  if  Baal,  then  follow  him.  And  the  people  answered 
him  not  a  word.  Then  said  Elijah  unto  the  people,  I, 
even  I  only,  am  left  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  ;  but  Baal's 
prophets  are  four  hundred  and  fifty  men.  Let  them  there- 
fore give  us  two  bullocks  ;  and  let  them  choose  one  bul- 
lock for  themselves,  and  cut  it  in  pieces,  and  lay  it  on  the 
wood,  and  put  no  fire  under :  and  I  will  dress  the  other 
bullock,  and  lay  it  on  the  wood,  and  put  no  fire  under. 
And  call  ye  on  the  name  of  your  god,  and  I  will  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  :  and  the  God  that  answereth  by  fire, 
let  him  be  God.  And  all  the  people  answered  and  said. 
It  is  well  spoken.  And  Elijah  said  unto  the  prophets  of 
Baal,  Choose  you  one  bullock  for  yourselves,  and  dress  it 
first ;  for  ye  are  many ;  and  call  on  the  name  of  your  god, 
but  put  no  fire  under.  And  they  took  the  bullock  which 
was  given  them,  and  they  dressed  it,  and  called  on  the 
name  of  Baal  from  morning  even  until  noon,  saying,  O 
Baal,  hear  us.  But  there  was  no  voice,  nor  any  that  an- 
swered. And  they  leaped  about  the  altar  which  was 
made.  And  it  came  to  pass  at  noon,  that  Elijah  mocked 
them,  and  said.  Cry  aloud :  for  he  is  a  god ;  either  he  is 
musing,  or  he  is  gone  aside,  or  he  is  in  a  journey,  or  per- 
adventure  he  sleepeth,  and  must  be  awaked.  And  they 
cried  aloud,  and  cut  themselves  after  their  manner  with 
knives  and  lances,  till  the  blood  gushed  out  upon  them. 
224 


Kings    and    Prophets  S«-  Elijah 

And  it  was  so,  when  midday  was  past,  that  they  prophe- 
sied until  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  evening  oblation  ; 
but  there  was  neither  voice,  nor  any  to  answer,  nor  any 
that  regarded.  And  Elijah  said  unto  all  the  people,  Come 
near  unto  me;  and  all  the  people  came  near  unto  him. 
And  he  repaired  the  altar  of  the  Lord  that  was  thrown 
down.  And  Elijah  took  twelve  stones,  according  to  the 
number  of  the  tribes  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  unto  whom  the 
word  of  the  Lord  came,  saying,  Israel  shall  be  thy  name. 
And  with  the  stones  he  built  an  altar  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  ;  and  he  made  a  trench  about  the  altar,  as  great  as 
would  contain  two  measures  of  seed.  And  he  put  the 
wood  in  order,  and  cut  the  bullock  in  pieces,  and  laid  it  on 
the  wood.  And  he  said.  Fill  four  barrels  with  water,  and 
pour  it  on  the  burnt  offering,  and  on  the  wood.  And  he 
said.  Do  it  the  second  time ;  and  they  did  it  the  second 
time.  And  he  said.  Do  it  the  third  time ;  and  they  did  it 
the  third  time.  And  the  water  ran  round  about  the  altar ; 
and  he  filled  the  trench  also  with  water.  And  it  came  to 
pass  at  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  evening  oblation,  that 
Elijah  the  prophet  came  near,  and  said,  O  Lord,  the  God 
of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Israel,  let  it  be  known  this 
day  that  thou  art  God  in  Israel,  and  that  I  am  thy  servant, 
and  that  I  have  done  all  these  things  at  thy  word.  Hear 
me,  O  Lord,  hear  me,  that  this  people  may  know  that 
thou,  Lord,  art  God,  and  that  thou  hast  turned  their  heart 
back  again.  Then  the  fire  of  the  Lord  fell,  and  consumed 
Q  225 


Elijah  -^  Bible    Stories 

the  burnt  offering,  and  the  wood,  and  the  stones,  and  the 
dust,  and  licked  up  the  water  that  was  in  the  trench.  And 
when  all  the  people  saw  it,  they  fell  on  their  faces :  and 
they  said.  The  Lord,  he  is  God ;  the  Lord,  he  is  God. 
And  Elijah  said  unto  them.  Take  the  prophets  of  Baal ; 
let  not  one  of  them  escape.  And  they  took  them :  and 
Elijah  brought  them  down  to  the  brook  Kishon,  and  slew 
them  there.  And  Elijah  said  unto  Ahab,  Get  thee  up,  eat 
and  drink;  for  there  is  the  sound  of  abundance  of  rain. 
So  Ahab  went  up  to  eat  and  to  drink.  And  Elijah  went 
up  to  the  top  of  Carmel;  and  he  bowed  himself  down 
upon  the  earth,  and  put  his  face  between  his  knees.  And 
he  said  to  his  servant,  Go  up  now,  look  toward  the  sea. 
And  he  went  up,  and  looked,  and  said,  There  is  nothing. 
And  he  said,  Go  again  seven  times.  And  it  came  to  pass 
at  the  seventh  time,  that  he  said.  Behold,  there  ariseth  a 
cloud  out  of  the  sea,  as  small  as  a  man's  hand.  And  he 
said.  Go  up,  say  unto  Ahab,  Make  ready  thy  chariot,  and 
get  thee  down,  that  the  rain  stop  thee  not.  And  it  came 
to  pass  in  a  little  while,  that  the  heaven  grew  black  with 
clouds  and  wind,  and  there  was  a  great  rain.  And  Ahab 
rode  and  went  to  Jezreel.  And  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  on  Elijah ;  and  he  girded  up  his  loins,  and  ran  before 
Ahab  to  the  entrance  of  Jezreel. 


Kings    and    Prophets  B^  Elijah 

Elijah  in  the  Desert 

And  Ahab  told  Jezebel  all  that  Elijah  had  done,  and 
withal  how  he  had  slain  all  the  prophets  with  the  sword. 
Then  Jezebel  sent  a  messenger  unto  Elijah,  saying,  So  let 
the  gods  do  to  me,  and  more  also,  if  I  make  not  thy  life 
as  the  life  of  one  of  them  by  tomorrow  about  this  time. 
And  when  he  saw  that,  he  arose,  and  went  for  his  life,  and 
came  to  Beer-sheba,  which  belongeth  to  Judah,  and  left 
his  servant  there.  But  he  himself  went  a  day's  journey 
into  the  wilderness,  and  came  and  sat  down  under  a 
juniper  tree :  and  he  requested  for  himself  that  he  might 
die ;  and  said.  It  is  enough ;  now,  O  Lord,  take  away  my 
life ;  for  I  am  not  better  than  my  fathers.  And  he  lay 
down  and  slept  under  a  juniper  tree;  and,  behold,  an 
angel  touched  him,  and  said  unto  him.  Arise  and  eat. 
And  he  looked,  and,  behold,  there  was  at  his  head  a  cake 
baken  on  the  coals,  and  a  cruse  of  water.  And  he  did  eat 
and  drink,  and  laid  him  down  again.  And  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  came  again  the  second  time,  and  touched  him, 
and  said.  Arise  and  eat ;  because  the  journey  is  too  great 
for  thee.  And  he  arose,  and  did  eat  and  drink,  and  went 
in  the  strength  of  that  meat  forty  days  and  forty  nights 
unto  Horeb  the  mount  of  God.  And  he  came  thither 
unto  a  cave,  and  lodged  there ;  and,  behold,  the  word  of 
the  Lord  came  to  him,  and  he  said  unto  him.  What  doest 
thou  here,  Elijah  ?  And  he  said,  I  have  been  very  jealous 
227 


Elijah  -^  Bible    Stories 

for  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts ;  for  the  children  of  Israel 
have  forsaken  thy  covenant,  thrown  down  thine  altars, 
and  slain  thy  prophets  with  the  sword :  and  I,  even  I 
only,  am  left ;  and  they  seek  my  life,  to  take  it  away. 
And  he  said,  Go  forth,  and  stand  upon  the  mount  before 
the  Lord.  And,  behold,  the  Lord  passed  by,  and  a 
great  and  strong  wind  rent  the  mountains,  and  brake  in 
pieces  the  rocks  before  the  Lord  ;  but  the  Lord  was  not 
in  the  wind :  and  after  the  wind  an  earthquake ;  but  the 
Lord  was  not  in  the  earthquake  :  and  after  the  earthquake 
a  fire ;  but  the  Lord  w'as  not  in  the  fire :  and  after  the 
fire  a  still  small  voice.  And  it  was  so,  w^hen  Elijah  heard 
it,  that  he  wrapped  his  face  in  his  mantle,  and  went  out, 
and  stood  in  the  entering  in  of  the  cave.  And,  behold, 
there  came  a  voice  unto  him,  and  said,  What  doest  thou 
here,  Elijah?  And  he  said,  I  have  been  very  jealous  for 
the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts ;  for  the  children  of  Israel 
have  forsaken  thy  covenant,  thrown  down  thine  altars, 
and  slain  thy  prophets  with  the  sword ;  and  I,  even  I 
only,  am  left ;  and  they  seek  my  life,  to  take  it  away. 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Go,  return  on  thy  way  to 
the  wilderness  of  Damascus  :  and  when  thou  comest,  thou 
shalt  anoint  Hazael  to  be  king  over  Syria :  and  Jehu  the 
son  of  Nimshi  shalt  thou  anoint  to  be  king  over  Israel : 
and  Elisha  the  son  of  Shaphat  shalt  thou  anoint  to  be 
prophet  in  thy  room.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  him 
that  escapeth  from  the  sword  of  Hazael  shall  Jehu  slay: 
228 


Kings    and    Prophets  8«-  Elijah 

and  him  that  escapeth  from  the  sword  of  Jehu  shall  Elisha 
slay.  Yet  will  I  leave  me  seven  thousand  in  Israel,  all 
the  knees  which  have  not  bowed  unto  Baal,  and  every 
mouth  which  hath  not  kissed  him.  So  he  departed 
thence,  and  found  EHsha  the  son  of  Shaphat,  who  was 
ploughing,  with  twelve  yoke  of  oxen  before  him,  and  he 
with  the  twelfth  :  and  Elijah  passed  over  unto  him,  and  cast 
his  mantle  upon  him.  And  he  left  the  oxen,  and  ran  after 
Elijah,  and  said.  Let  me,  I  pray  thee,  kiss  my  father  and 
my  mother,  and  then  I  will  follow  thee.  And  he  said 
unto  him,  Go  back  again ;  for  what  have  I  done  to  thee  ? 
And  he  returned  from  following  him,  and  took  the  yoke  of 
oxen,  and  slew  them,  and  boiled  their  flesh  with  the  instru- 
ments of  the  oxen,  and  gave  unto  the  people,  and  they  did 
eat.  Then  he  arose,  and  went  after  Elijah,  and  ministered 
unto  him. 

The  Story  of  NabotJCs  Vineyard 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  Naboth  the 
Jezreelite  had  a  vineyard,  which  was  in  Jezreel,  hard  by 
the  palace  of  Ahab  king  of  Samaria.  And  Ahab  spake 
unto  Naboth,  saying.  Give  me  thy  vineyard,  that  I  may 
have  it  for  a  garden  of  herbs,  because  it  is  near  unto  my 
house ;  and  I  will  give  thee  for  it  a  better  vineyard  than  it: 
or,  if  it  seem  good  to  thee,  I  will  give  thee  the  worth  of  it 
in  money.  And  Naboth  said  to  Ahab,  The  Lord  forbid 
229 


Elijah  -^  Bible    Stories 

it  me,  that  I  should  give  the  inheritance  of  my  fathers 
unto  thee.  And  Ahab  came  into  his  house  heavy  and  dis- 
pleased because  of  the  word  which  Naboth  the  Jezreelite 
had  spoken  to  him :  for  he  had  said,  I  will  not  give  thee 
the  inheritance  of  my  fathers.  And  he  laid  him  down 
upon  his  bed,  and  turned  away  his  face,  and  w^ould  eat  no 
bread.  But  Jezebel  his  wife  came  to  him,  and  said  unto 
him,  Why  is  thy  spirit  so  sad,  that  thou  eatest  no  bread? 
And  he  said  unto  her,  Because  I  spake  unto  Naboth  the 
Jezreelite,  and  said  unto  him.  Give  me  thy  vineyard  for 
money ;  or  else,  if  it  please  thee,  I  will  give  thee  another 
vineyard  for  it :  and  he  answered,  I  will  not  give  thee  my 
vineyard.  And  Jezebel  his  wife  said  unto  him,  Dost  thou 
now  govern  the  kingdom  of  Israel?  arise,  and  eat  bread, 
and  let  thine  heart  be  merry :  I  will  give  thee  the  vineyard 
of  Naboth  the  Jezreelite.  So  she  wrote  letters  in  Ahab's 
name,  and  sealed  them  with  his  seal,  and  sent  the  letters 
unto  the  elders  and  to  the  nobles  that  were  in  his  city,  and 
that  dwelt  with  Naboth.  And  she  wrote  in  the  letters, 
saying.  Proclaim  a  fast,  and  set  Naboth  on  high  among 
the  people :  and  set  two  men,  sons  of  Belial,  before  him, 
and  let  them  bear  witness  against  him,  saying.  Thou  didst 
curse  God  and  the  king.  And  then  carry  him  out,  and 
stone  him,  that  he  die.  And  the  men  of  his  city,  even  the 
elders  and  the  nobles  who  dwelt  in  his  city,  did  as  Jezebel 
had  sent  unto  them,  according  as  it  was  written  in  the  let- 
ters which  she  had  sent  unto  them.  They  proclaimed  a 
230 


Kings    and    Prophets  8«-  Elijah 

fast,  and  set  Naboth  on  high  among  the  people.  And  the 
two  men,  sons  of  Belial,  came  in  and  sat  before  him :  and 
the  men  of  Belial  bare  witness  against  him,  even  against 
Naboth,  in  the  presence  of  the  people,  saying,  Naboth  did 
curse  God  and  the  king.  Then  they  carried  him  forth  out 
of  the  city,  and  stoned  him  with  stones,  that  he  died. 
Then  they  sent  to  Jezebel,  saying,  Naboth  is  stoned,  and 
is  dead.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jezebel  heard  that 
Naboth  was  stoned,  and  was  dead,  that  Jezebel  said  to 
Ahab,  Arise,  take  possession  of  the  .vineyard  of  Naboth 
the  Jezreelite,  which  he  refused  to  give  thee  for  money : 
for  Naboth  is  not  alive,  but  dead.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  Ahab  heard  that  Naboth  was  dead,  that  Ahab  rose 
up  to  go  down  to  the  vineyard  of  Naboth  the  Jezreelite,  to 
take  possession  of  it. 

And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Elijah  the  Tishbite, 
saying,  Arise,  go  down  to  meet  Ahab  king  of  Israel,  which 
dwelleth  in  Samaria :  behold,  he  is  in  the  vineyard  of  Na- 
both, whither  he  is  gone  down  to  take  possession  of  it. 
And  thou  shalt  speak  unto  him,  saying.  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  Hast  thou  killed,  and  also  taken  possession?  and 
thou  shalt  speak  unto  him,  saying,  Thus  saith  the  Lord, 
In  the  place  where  dogs  licked  the  blood  of  Naboth  shall 
dogs  lick  thy  blood,  even  thine.  And  Ahab  said  to  Elijah, 
Hast  thou  found  me,  O  mine  enemy?  And  he  answered, 
I  have  found  thee :  because  thou  hast  sold  thyself  to  do 
that  which  is  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  Behold,  I 
231 


Elijah  -^  Bible   Stories 

will  bring  evil  upon  thee,  and  will  utterly  sweep  thee  away, 
and  will  cut  off  from  Ahab  every  man  child,  and  him  that 
is  shut  up  and  him  that  is  left  at  large  in  Israel.  And  of 
Jezebel  also  spake  the  Lord,  saying,  The  dogs  shall  eat 
Jezebel  by  the  rampart  of  Jezreel.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  Ahab  heard  those  words,  that  he  rent  his  clothes, 
and  put  sackcloth  upon  his  flesh,  and  fasted,  and  lay  in 
sackcloth,  and  went  softly.  And  the  word  of  the  Lord 
came  to  Elijah  the  Tishbite,  saying,  Seest  thou  how  Ahab 
humbleth  himself  before  me?  because  he  humbleth  him- 
self before  me  I  will  not  bring  the  evil  in  his  days :  but 
in  his  son's  days  will  I  bring  the  evil  upon  his  house. 

Ascent  of  Elijah  to  Heaven 

And  it  came  to  pass  when  the  Lord  would  take  up 
Elijah  by  a  whirlwind  into  heaven,  that  Elijah  went  with 
Elisha  from  Gilgal.  And  Elijah  said  unto  Elisha,  Tarry 
here,  I  pray  thee ;  for  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  as  far  as 
Beth-el.  And  Elisha  said,  As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy 
soul  liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.  So  they  w^ent  down  to 
Beth-el.  And  the  sons  of  the  prophets  that  were  at 
Beth-el  came  forth  to  Elisha,  and  said  unto  him,  Knowest 
thou  that  the  Lord  will  take  away  thy  master  from  thy 
head  today  ?  And  he  said.  Yea,  I  know  it ;  hold  ye  your 
peace.  And  Elijah  said  unto  him,  Elisha,  tarry  here,  I 
pray  thee ;  for  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  Jericho.  And 
232 


Kings    and    Prophets  S«-  Elijah 

he  said,  As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy  soul  liveth,  I  will 
not  leave  thee.  So  they  came  to  Jericho.  And  the  sons 
of  the  prophets  that  were  at  Jericho  came  near  to  Elisha, 
and  said  unto  him,  Knowest  thou  that  the  Lord  will  take 
away  thy  master  from  thy  head  today?  And  he  answered, 
Yea,  I  know  it ;  hold  ye  your  peace.  And  Elijah  said  unto 
him.  Tarry  here,  I  pray  thee ;  for  the  Lord  hath  sent  me 
to  Jordan.  And  he  said,  As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy 
soul  liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.  And  they  two  went  on. 
And  fifty  men  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  went,  and  stood 
over  against  them  afar  off:  and  they  two  stood  by  Jordan. 
And  Elijah  took  his  mantle,  and  wrapped  it  together,  and 
smote  the  waters,  and  they  were  divided  hither  and  thither, 
so  that  they  two  went  over  on  dry  ground.  And  it  came 
to  pass,  when  they  were  gone  over,  that  Elijah  said  unto 
Elisha,  Ask  what  I  shall  do  for  thee,  before  I  be  taken 
from  thee.  And  Elisha  said,  I  pray  thee,  let  a  double 
portion  of  thy  spirit  be  upon  me.  And  he  said,  Thou  hast 
asked  a  hard  thing :  nevertheless,  if  thou  see  me  when  I 
am  taken  from  thee,  it  shall  be  so  unto  thee ;  but  if  not,  it 
shall  not  be  so.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  still  went  on, 
and  talked,  that,  behold,  there  appeared  a  chariot  of  fire, 
and  horses  of  fire,  which  parted  them  both  asunder ;  and 
Elijah  went  up  by  a  whirlwind  into  heaven.  And  Elisha 
saw  it,  and  he  cried.  My  father,  my  father,  the  chariots  of 
Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof !  And  he  saw  him  no 
more  :  and  he  took  hold  of  his  own  clothes,  and  rent  them 
233 


Elisha  -^  Bible    Stories 

in  two  pieces.  He  took  up  also  the  mantle  of  Elijah  that 
fell  from  him,  and  went  back,  and  stood  by  the  bank  of 
Jordan.  And  he  took  the  mantle  of  Elijah  that  fell  from 
him.  and  smote  the  waters,  and  said.  Where  is  the  Lord, 
the  God  of  Elijah?  and  when  he  also  had  smitten  the 
waters,  they  were  divided  hither  and  thither :  and  Elisha 
went  over.  And  when  the  sons  of  the  prophets  which 
were  at  Jericho  over  against  him  saw  him,  they  said,  The 
spirit  of  Elijah  doth  rest  on  Elisha. 


VI 

Stories  "of  the  Prophet  Elisha 

T/ie  Shunammite^s  Son 

And  it  fell  on  a  day,  that  Elisha  passed  to  Shunem, 
where  was  a  great  woman;  and  she  constrained  him  to 
eat  bread.  And  so  it  was,  that  as  oft  as  he  passed  by,  he 
turned  in  thither  to  eat  bread.  And  she  said  unto  her 
husband.  Behold,  now,  I  perceive  that  this  is  a  holy  man  of 
God,  which  passeth  by  us  continually.  Let  us  make,  I  pray 
thee,  a  little  chamber  on  the  wall ;  and  Jet  us  set  for  him 
there  a  bed,  and  a  table,  and  a  stool,  and  a  candlestick : 
and  it  shall  be,  when  he  cometh  to  us,  that  he  shall  turn  in 
thither.  And  it  fell  on  a  day,  that  he  came  thither,  and 
234 


Kings    and    Prophets  S<-  Elisha 

he  turned  into  the  chamber,  and  lay  there.  And  he  said  to 
Gehazi  his  servant,  Call  this  Shunammite.  And  when  he 
had  called  her,  she  stood  before  him.  And  he  said  unto 
him,  Say  now  unto  her,  Behold,  thou  hast  been  careful  for 
us  with  all  this  care;  what  is  to  be  done  for  thee?  would- 
est  thou  be  spoken  for  to  the  king,  or  to  the  captain  of  the 
host  ?  And  she  answered,  I  dwell  among  mine  own  people. 
And  he  said,  What  then  is  to  be  done  for  her?  And 
Gehazi  answered.  Verily  she  hath  no  son.  And  he  said, 
Call  her.  And  when  he  had  called  her,  she  stood  in  the 
door.  And  he  said,  At  this  season,  when  the  time  cometh 
round,  thou  shalt  embrace  a  son.  And  she  said.  Nay,  my 
lord,  thou  man  of  God,  do  not  lie  unto  thine  handmaid. 
And  the  woman  bare  a  son  at  that  season,  when  the  time 
came  around,  as  Elisha  had  said  unto  her. 

And  when  the  child  was  grown,  it  fell  on  a  day,  that  he 
went  out  to  his  father  to  the  reapers.  And  he  said  unto 
his  father,  My  head,  my  head  !  And  he  said  to  his  servant, 
Carry  him  to  his  mother.  And  when  he  had  taken  him, 
and  brought  him  to  his  mother,  he  sat  on  her  knees  till 
noon,  and  then  died.  And  she  went  up,  and  laid  him  on 
the  bed  of  the  man  of  God,  and  shut  the  door  upon  him, 
and  went  out.  And  she  called  unto  her  husband,  and  said. 
Send  me,  I  pray  thee,  one  of  the  servants  ;  and  one  of  the 
asses,  that  I  may  run  to  the  man  of  God  and  come  again. 
And  he  said.  Wherefore  wdlt  thou  go  to  him  today?  it  is 
neither  new  moon  nor  sabbath.  And  she  said,  It  shall  be 
235 


Elisha  -^  Bible    Stories 

well.  Then  she  saddled  an  ass,  and  said  to  her  servant, 
Drive,  and  go  forward ;  slacken  me  not  the  riding,  except 
I  bid  thee.  So  she  went  and  came  unto  the  man  of  God 
to  mount  Carmel.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  man  of 
God  saw  her  afar  off,  that  he  said  to  Gehazi  his  servant, 
Behold,  yonder  is  the  Shunammite  :  nm,  I  pray  thee,  now 
to  meet  her,  and  say  unto  her,  Is  it  well  with  thee?  is  it 
well  with  thy  husband?  is  it  well  with  the  child?  And  she 
answered.  It  is  well.  And  when  she  came  to  the  man  of 
God  to  the  hill,  she  caught  hold  of  his  feet.  And  Gehazi 
came  near  to  thrust  her  away ;  but  the  man  of  God  said, 
Let  her  alone,  for  her  soul  is  vexed  within  her ;  and  the 
Lord  hath  hid  it  from  me,  and  hath  not  told  me.  Then 
she  said,  Did  I  desire  a  son  of  my  lord?  did  I  not  say.  Do 
not  deceive  me?  Then  he  said  to  Gehazi,  Gird  up  thy 
loins,  and  take  my  staff  in  thine  hand,  and  go  thy  way :  if 
thou  meet  any  man,  salute  him  not ;  and  if  any  salute  thee, 
answer  him  not  again :  and  lay  my  staff  upon  the  face  of 
the  child.  And  the  mother  of  the  child  said.  As  the  Lord 
liveth,  and  as  thy  soul  liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.  And 
he  arose,  and  followed  her.  And  Gehazi  passed  on  before 
them,  and  laid  the  staff  upon  the  face  of  the  child ;  but 
there  was  neither  voice,  nor  hearing.  Wherefore  he  re- 
turned to  meet  him,  and  told  him  saying.  The  child  is  not 
awaked.  And  when  Elisha  was  come  into  the  house, 
behold,  the  child  was  dead,  and  laid  upon  his  bed.  He 
went  in  therefore,  and  shut  the  door  upon  them  twain,  and 
236 


Kings    and    Prophets  6«-  Elisha 

prayed  unto  the  Lord.  And  he  went  up,  and  lay  upon  the 
child,  and  put  his  mouth  upon  his  mouth,  and  his  eyes  upon 
his  eyes,  and  his  hands  upon  his  hands :  and  he  stretched 
himself  upon  him  ;  and  the  flesh  of  the  child  waxed  warm. 
Then  he  returned,  and  walked  in  the  house  once  to  and  fro  ; 
and  went  up,  and  stretched  himself  upon  him  :  and  the  child 
sneezed  seven  times,  and  the  child  opened  his  eyes.  And 
he  called  Gehazi,  and  said.  Call  this  Shunammite.  So  he 
called  her.  And  when  she  was  come  in  unto  him,  he  said, 
Take  up  thy  son.  Then  she  went  in,  "and  fell  at  his  feet, 
and  bowed  herself  to  the  ground  ;  and  she  took  up  her  son, 
and  went  out. 

Naaman  and  Geha-zi 

Now  Naaman,  captain  of  the  host  of  the  king  of  Syria, 
was  a  great  man  with  his  master,  and  honourable,  because 
by  him  the  Lord  had  given  victory  unto  Syria :  he  was 
also  a  mighty  man  of  valour,  but  he  was  a  leper.  And 
the  Syrians  had  gone  out  in  bands,  and  had  brought  away 
captive  out  of  the  land  of  Israel  a  little  maid ;  and  she 
waited  on  Naamaa's  wife.  And  she  said  unto  her  mis- 
tress. Would  God  my  lord  were  with  the  prophet  that  is  in 
Samaria  !  then  would  he  recover  him  of  his  leprosy.  And 
one  went  in,  and  told  his  lord,  saying,  Thus  and  thus  said 
the  maid  that  is  of  the  land  of  Israel.  And  the  king  of 
Syria  said.  Go  to,  go,  and  I  will  send  a  letter  unto  the 
king  of  Israel.  And  he  departed,  and  took  with  him  ten 
237 


Elisha  -^  Bible    Stories 

talents  of  silver,  and  six  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  ten 
changes  of  raiment.  And  he  brought  the  letter  to  the 
king  of  Israel,  saying,  And  now  when  this  letter  is  come 
unto  thee,  behold,  I  have  sent  Naaman  my  servant  to 
thee,  that  thou  mayest  recover  him  of  his  leprosy.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king  of  Israel  had  read  the  let- 
ter, that  he  rent  his  clothes,  and  said,  Am  I  God,  to  kill 
and  to  make  alive,  that  this  man  doth  send  unto  me  to 
recover  a  man  of  his  leprosy  ?  but  consider,  I  pray  you, 
and  see  how  he  seeketh  a  quarrel  against  me.  And  it  was 
so,  when  Elisha  the  man  of  God  heard  that  the  king  of 
Israel  had  rent  his  clothes,  that  he  sent  to  the  king,  say- 
ing. Wherefore  hast  thou  rent  thy  clothes  ?  let  him  come 
now  to  me,  and  he  shall  know  that  there  is  a  prophet  in 
Israel.  So  Naaman  came  with  his  horses  and  with  his 
chariots,  and  stood  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  Elisha. 
And  Elisha  sent  a  messenger  unto  him,  saying,  Go  and 
wash  in  Jordan  seven  times,  and  thy  flesh  shall  come 
again  to  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  clean.  But  Naaman  was 
wroth,  and  went  away,  and  said.  Behold,  I  thought,  He 
will  surely  come  out  to  me,  and  stand,  and  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  his  God,  and  wave  his  hand  over  the 
place,  and  recover  the  leper.  Are  not  Abanah  and  Phar- 
par,  the  rivers  of  Damascus,  better  than  all  the  waters  of 
Israel  ?  may  I  not  wash  in  them,  and  be  clean  ?  So  he 
turned  and  went  away  in  a  rage.  And  his  servants  came 
near,  and  spake  unto  him,  and  said.  My  father,  if  the 
238 


Kings    and    Prophets  S^-  Elisha 

prophet  had  bid  thee  do  some  great  thing,  wouldest  thou 
not  have  done  it  ?  how  much  rather  then,  when  he  saith 
to  thee.  Wash,  and  be  clean  ?  Then  went  he  down,  and 
dipped  himself  seven  times  in  Jordan,  according  to  the 
saying  of  the  man  of  God :  and  his  flesh  came  again  like 
unto  the  flesh  of  a  little  child,  and  he  was  clean.  And  he 
returned  to  the  man  of  God,  he  and  all  his  company,  and 
came,  and  stood  before  him :  and  he  said,  Behold  now,  I 
know  that  there  is  no  God  in  all  the  earth,  but  in  Israel : 
now  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  take  a  present  of  thy  servant. 
But  he  said,  As  the  Lord  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  I 
will  receive  none.  And  he  urged  him  to  take  it;  but  he 
refused.  And  Naaman  said,  If  not,  yet  I  pray  thee  let 
there  be  given  to  thy  servant  two  mules'  burden  of  earth ; 
for  thy  servant  will  henceforth  offer  neither  burnt  offering 
nor  sacrifice  unto  other  gods,  but  unto  the  Lord.  In  this 
thing  the  Lord  pardon  thy  servant ;  when  my  master 
goeth  into  the  house  of  Rimmon  to  worship  there,  and  he 
leaneth  on  my  hand,  and  I  bow  myself  in  the  house  of 
Rimmon,  when  I  bow  myself  in  the  house  of  Rimmon, 
the  Lord  pardon  thy  servant  in  this  thing.  And  he  said 
unto  him,  Go  in  peace.  So  he  departed  from  him  a  little 
way. 

But  Gehazi,  the  servant  of  EHsha  the  man  of  God,  said, 

Behold,  my  master  hath  spared  this  Naaman  the  Syrian,  in 

not  receiving  at  his  hands  that  which  he  brought :   as  the 

Lord  liveth,  I  will  nm  after  him,  and  take  somewhat  of 

239 


Elisha  -^  Bible    Stories 

him.  So  Gehazi  followed  after  Naaman.  And  when 
Naaman  saw  one  running  after  him,  he  lighted  down  from 
the  chariot  to  meet  him,  and  said,  Is  all  well?  And  he 
said,  All  is  well.  My  master  hath  sent  me,  saying.  Behold, 
even  now  there  be  come  to  me  from  the  hill  country  of 
Ephraim  two  young  men  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  ;  give 
them,  I  pray  thee,  a  talent  of  silver,  and  two  changes  of 
raiment.  And  Naaman  said,  Be  content,  take  two  talents. 
And  he  urged  him,  and  bound  two  talents  of  silver  in  two 
bags,  with  two  changes  of  raiment,  and  laid  them  upon 
two  of  his  servants ;  and  they  bare  them  before  him. 
And  when  he  came  to  the  hill,  he  took  them  from  their 
hand,  and  bestowed  them  in  the  house :  and  he  let  the 
men  go,  and  they  departed.  But  he  went  in,  and  stood 
before  his  master.  And  Elisha  said  unto  him.  Whence 
comest  thou,  Gehazi  ?  And  he  said.  Thy  servant  went  no 
whither.  And  he  said  unto  him.  Went  not  mine  heart 
with  thee,  when  the  man  turned  again  from  his  chariot  to 
meet  thee  ?  Is  it  a  time  to  receive  money,  and  to  receive 
garments,  and  oliveyards  and  vineyards,  and  sheep  and 
oxen,  and  menservants  and  maidservants  ?  The  leprosy 
therefore  of  Naaman  shall  cleave  unto  thee,  and  unto  thy 
seed  for  ever.  And  he  went  out  from  his  presence  a  leper 
as  white  as  snow. 


240 


Kings    and    Prophets  B«-  Isaiah 

vii 

The  Assyrian  Army  and  the  Prophet  Isaiah 

Now  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  king  Hezekiah  did  Sen- 
nacherib king  of  Assyria  come  up  against  all  the  fenced 
cities  of  Judah,  and  took  them. 

And  the  king  of  Assyria  sent  Tartan  and  Rabsaris  and 
Rabshakeh  to  king  Hezekiah  with  a  great  army  into 
Jerusalem.  And  they  went  up  and  came  to  Jerusalem. 
And  when  they  were  come  up,  they  came  and  stood  by  the 
conduit  of  the  upper  pool,  which  is  in  the  high  way  of  the 
fuller's  field.  And  when  they  had  called  to  the  king,  there 
came  out  to  them  Eliakim,  which  was  over  the  household, 
and  Shebna  the  scribe,  and  Joah  the  son  of  Asaph  the 
recorder.  And  Rabshakeh  said  unto  them,  Say  ye  now  to 
Hezekiah,  Thus  saith  the  great  king,  the  king  of  Assyria, 
What  confidence  is  this  wherein  thou  trustest  ?  Thou 
sayest,  but  they  are  but  vain  words,  There  is  counsel  and 
strength  for  the  war.  Now  on  whom  dost  thou  trust,  that 
thou  hast  rebelled  against  me  ?  Now,  behold,  thou  trustest 
upon  the  staff  of  this  bruised  reed,  even  upon  Egypt ; 
whereon  if  a  man  lean,  it  will  go  into  his  hand,  and  pierce 
it  :  so  is  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  unto  all  that  trust  on  him. 
But  if  ye  say  unto  me,  We  trust  in  the  Lord  our  God :  is 
R  241 


Isaiah  ^  Bible    Stories 

not  that  he,  whose  high  places  and  whose  altars  Hezekiah 
hath  taken  away,  and  hath  said  to  Judah  and  to  Jerusalem, 
Ye  shall  worship  before  this  altar  in  Jerusalem  ?  ~  Now 
therefore,  I  pray  thee,  give  pledges  to  my  master  the  king 
of  Assyria,  and  I  will  give  thee  two  thousand  horses,  if 
thou  be  able  on  thy  part  to  set  riders  upon  them.  How 
then  canst  thou  turn  away  the  face  of  one  captain  of  the 
least  of  my  master's  servants,  and  put  thy  trust  on  Egypt 
for  chariots  and  for  horsemen  ?  Am  I  now  come  up  with- 
out the  Lord  against  this  place  to  destroy  it  ?  The  Lord 
said  unto  me,  Go  up  against  this  land,  and  destroy  it. 

Then  said  Eliakim  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  and  Shebna,  and 
Joah,  unto  Rabshakeh,  Speak,  I  pray  thee,  to  thy  servants 
in  the  Syrian  language  ;  for  we  understand  it :  and  speak 
not  with  us  in  the  Jews'  language,  in  the  ears  of  the  peo- 
ple that  are  on  the  wall.  But  Rabshakeh  said  unto  them, 
Hath  my  master  sent  me  to  thy  master,  and  to  thee,  to 
speak  these  words  ?  hath  he  not  sent  me  to  the  men  which 
sit  on  the  wall  ?  Then  Rabshakeh  stood,  and  cried  with 
a  loud  voice  in  the  Jews'  language,  and  spake,  saying. 
Hear  ye  the  word  of  the  great  king,  the  king  of  Assyria. 
Thus  saith  the  king,  Let  not  Hezekiah  deceive  you ;  for 
he  shall  not  be  able  to  deliver  you  out  of  his  hand  :  neither 
let  Hezekiah  make  you  trust  in  the  Lord,  saying.  The 
Lord  will  surely  deliver  us,  and  this  city  shall  not  be 
given  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria.  Hearken  not 
to  Hezekiah :  for  thus  saith  the  king  of  Assyria,  Make 
242 


Kings    and    Prophets  8«^  Isaiah 

your  peace  with  me,  and  come  out  to  me ;  and  eat  ye 
every  one  of  his  vine,  and  every  one  of  his  fig  tree,  and 
drink  ye  every  one  the  waters  of  his  own  cistern ;  until  I 
come  and  take  you  away  to  a  land  like  your  own  land,  a 
land  of  corn  and  wine,  a  land  of  bread  and  vineyards,  a 
land  of  oil  olive  and  of  honey,  that  ye  may  live,  and  not 
die  :  and  hearken  not  unto  Hezekiah,  when  he  persuadeth 
you,  saying.  The  Lord  will  deliver  us.  Hath  any  of  the 
gods  of  the  nations  ever  delivered  his  land  out  of  the 
hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria?  Who  are  they  among  all 
the  gods  of  the  countries,  that  have  delivered  their  coun- 
try out  of  my  hand,  that  the  Lord  should  deliver  Jeru- 
salem out  of  my  hand  ?  But  the  people  held  their  peace, 
and  answered  him  not  a  word :  for  the  king's  command- 
ment was,  saying,  Answer  him  not.  Then  came  Eliakim 
the  son  of  Hilkiah,  which  was  over  the  household,  and 
Shebna  the  scribe,  and  Joah  the  son  of  Asaph  the  re- 
corder, to  Hezekiah  with  their  clothes  rent,  and  told  him 
the  words  of  Rabshakeh. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  king  Hezekiah  heard  it,  that 
he  rent  his  clothes,  and  covered  himself  with  sackcloth, 
and  went  into  the  house  of  the  Lord.  And  he  sent 
Eliakim,  which  was  over  the  household,  and  Shebna  the 
scribe,  and  the  elders  of  the  priests,  covered  with  sack- 
cloth, unto  Isaiah  the  prophet  the  son  of  Amoz.  And 
they  said  unto  him,  Thus  saith  Hezekiah,  This  day  is  a 
day  of  trouble,  and  of  rebuke,  and  of  contumely.  It  may 
243 


Isaiah  -5g  Bible    Stories 

be  the  Lord  thy  God  will  hear  all  the  words  of  Rabshakeh, 
whom  the  king  of  Assyria  his  master  hath  sent  to  reproach 
the  living  God,  and  will  rebuke  the  words  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  hath  heard:  wherefore  lift  up  thy  prayer  for  the 
remnant  that  is  left.  So  the  servants  of  king  Hezekiah 
came  to  Isaiah.  And  Isaiah  said  unto  them,  Thus  shall  ye 
say  to  your  master,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Be  not  afraid  of 
the  words  that  thou  hast  heard,  wherewith  the  servants 
of  the  king  of  Assyria  have  blasphemed  me.  Behold,  I 
will  put  a  spirit  in  him,  and  he  shall  hear  a  rumour,  and 
shall  return  to  his  own  land ;  and  I  will  cause  him  to  fall 
by  the  sword  in  his  own  land. 

So  Rabshakeh  returned,  and  found  the  king  of  Assyria 
warring  against  Libnah.  And  when  he  heard  say  of  Tir- 
hakah  king  of  Ethiopia,  Behold,  he  is  come  out  to  light 
against  thee :  he  sent  messengers  again  unto  Hezekiah, 
saying,  Thus  shall  ye  speak  to  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah, 
saying,  Let  not  thy  God  in  whom  thou  trustest  deceive 
thee,  saying,  Jerusalem  shall  not  be  given  into  the  hand  of 
the  king  of  Assyria.  Behold,  thou  hast  heard  what  the 
kings  of  Ass}Tia  have  done  to  all  lands,  by  destroying 
them  utterly:  and  shalt  thou  be  delivered?  Have  the 
gods  of  the  nations  delivered  them,  which  my  fathers  have 
destroyed?  And  Hezekiah  received  the  letter  from  the 
hand  of  the  messengers,  and  read  it:  and  Hezekiah  went 
up  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  spread  it  before  the 
Lord.  And  Hezekiah  prayed  before  the  Lord,  and  said, 
244 


Kings    and    Prophets  3«-  Isaiah 

O  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  that  sittest  upon  the  cherubim, 
thou  art  the  God,  even  thou  alone,  of  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth ;  thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth.  Incline 
thine  ear,  O  Lord,  and  hear ;  open  thine  eyes,  O  Lord, 
and  see :  and  hear  the  words  of  Sennacherib,  wherewith 
he  hath  sent  him  to  reproach  the  living  God.  Of  a  truth, 
Lord,  the  kings  of  Assyria  have  laid  waste  the  nations 
and  their  lands,  and  have  cast  their  gods  into  the  fire  :  for 
they  were  no  gods,  but  the  work  of  men's  hands,  wood  and 
stone :  therefore  they  have  destroyed  them.  Now  there- 
fore, O  Lord  our  God,  save  thou  us,  I  beseech  thee,  out  of 
his  hand,  that  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  may  know  that 
thou  art  the  Lord  God,  even  thou  only. 

Then  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  sent  to  Hezekiah,  saying. 
Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  Whereas  thou 
hast  prayed  to  me  against  Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria,  I 
have  heard  thee.  This  is  the  word  that  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  concerning  him  :  The  virgin  daughter  of  Zion  hath 
despised  thee  and  laughed  thee  to  scorn ;  the  daughter  of 
Jerusalem  hath  shaken  her  head  at  thee.  Whom  hast 
thou  reproached  and  blasphemed?  and  against  whom  hast 
thou  exalted  thy  voice  and  lifted  up  thine  eyes  on  high? 
even  against  the  Holy  One  of  Israel.  By  thy  messengers 
thou  hast  reproached  the  Lord,  and  hast  said,  '  With  the 
multitude  of  my  chariots  am  I  come  up  to  the  height  of 
the  mountains,  to  the  innermost  parts  of  Lebanon ;  and  I 
will  cut  down  the  tall  cedars  thereof,  and  the  choice  fir 
345 


Isaiah  ^  Bible    Stories 

trees  thereof.  I  have  digged  and  drunk  strange  waters, 
and  with  the  sole  of  my  feet  will  I  dry  up  all  the  rivers  of 
Egypt.'  Hast  thou  not  heard  how  I  have  done  it  long  ago? 
now  have  I  brought  it  to  pass,  that  thou  shouldest  be  to  lay 
waste  fenced  cities  into  ruinous  heaps.  Therefore  their 
inhabitants  were  of  small  power,  they  were  dismayed  and 
confounded  ;  they  v/ere  as  the  grass  of  the  field,  and  as  the 
green  herb,  as  the  grass  on  the  housetops,  and  as  corn 
blasted  before  it  be  grown  up.  But  I  know  thy  sitting 
down,  and  thy  going  out,  and  thy  coming  in,  and  thy 
raging  against  me.  Because  of  thy  raging  against  me, 
and  for  that  thine  arrogancy  is  come  up  into  mine  ears, 
therefore  will  I  put  my  hook  in  thy  nose,  and  my  bridle  in 
thy  lips,  and  I  will  turn  thee  back  by  the  way  by  which 
thou  camest.  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  concerning 
the  king  of  Assyria,  He  shall  not  come  unto  this  city,  nor 
shoot  an  arrow  there,  neither  shall  he  come  before  it  with 
shield,  nor  cast  a  mount  against  it.  By  the  way  that  he 
came,  by  the  same  shall  he  return,  and  he  shall  not  come 
unto  this  city,  saith  the  Lord.  For  I  will  defend  this  city 
to  save  it,  for  mine  own  sake,  and  for  my  servant  David's 
sake. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  night,  that  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  went  forth,  and  smote  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians 
an  hundred  fourscore  and  five  thousand :  and  when  men 
arose  early  in  the  morning,  behold,  they  were  all  dead 
corpses.  So  Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria  departed,  and 
246 


Kings    and    Prophets  B«-  Josiah 

went  and  returned,  and  dwelt  at  Nineveh.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  as  he  was  worshipping  in  the  house  of  Nisroch  his 
god,  that  Adrammelech  and  Sharezer  smote  him  with  the 
sword  :  and  they  escaped  into  the  land  of  Ararat. 


Vlll 

Josiah  and  the  Finding  of  the  Law 

And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  king 
Josiah,  that  the  king  sent  Shaphan  the  scribe,  to  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  saying.  Go  up  to  Hilkiah  the  high 
priest,  that  he  may  sum  the  money  which  is  brought  into 
the  house  of  the  Lord,  which  the  keepers  of  the  door  have 
gathered  of  the  people :  and  let  them  deliver  it  into  the 
hand  of  the  workmen  that  have  the  oversight  of  the  house 
of  the  Lord.  And  Hilkiah  the  high  priest  said  unto 
Shaphan  the  scribe,  I  have  found  the  book  of  the  law  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord.  And  Hilkiah  delivered  the  book 
to  Shaphan,  and  he  read  it.  And  Shaphan  the  scribe  came 
to  the  king,  and  brought  the  king  word  again,  and  said, 
Thy  servants  have  emptied  out  the  money  that  was  found 
in  the  house,  and  have  delivered  it  into  the  hand  of  the 
workmen  that  have  the  oversight  of  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
And  Shaphan  the  scribe  told  the  king,  saying,  Hilkiah 
the  priest  hath  dehvered  me  a  book.  And  Shaphan  read 
247 


josiah  -59  Bible    Stories 

it  before  the  king.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king 
had  heard  the  words  of  the  book  of  the  law,  that  he  rent 
his  clothes.  And  the  king  commanded,  saying,  Go  ye, 
inquire  of  the  Lord  for  me,  and  for  the  people,  and  for  all 
Judah,  concerning  the  words  of  this  book  that  is  found : 
for  great  is  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  that  is  kindled  against 
us,  because  our  fathers  have  not  hearkened  unto  the  words 
of  this  book,  to  do  according  unto  all  that  which  is  written 
concerning  us.  So  Hilkiah,  and  they  whom  the  king  com- 
manded, went  unto  Huldah  the  prophetess,  (now  she 
dwelt  in  Jerusalem  in  the  second  quarter ;)  and  they 
communed  with  her.  And  she  said  unto  them,  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel :  Tell  ye  the  man  that 
sent  you  unto  me.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Behold,  I  will 
bring  evil  upon  this  place,  and  upon  the  inhabitants 
thereof,  even  all  the  words  of  the  book  which  the  king 
of  Judah  hath  read :  because  they  have  forsaken  me, 
and  have  burned  incense  unto  other  gods,  that  they  might 
provoke  me  to  anger  with  all  the  work  of  their  hands ; 
therefore  my  wrath  shall  be  kindled  against  this  place,  and 
it  shall  not  be  quenched.  But  unto  the  king  of  Judah,  who 
sent  you  to  inquire  of  the  Lord,  thus  shall  ye  say  to  him, 
Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel :  As  touching  the 
words  which  thou  hast  heard,  because  thine  heart  was 
tender,  and  thou  didst  humble  thyself  before  the  Lord, 
when  thou  heardest  what  I  spake  against  this  place,  and 
against  the  inhabitants  thereof,  that  they  should  become  a 
248 


Kings    and    Prophets  8«-  Josiah 

desolation  and  a  curse,  and  hast  rent  thy  clothes,  and  wept 
before  me  ;  I  also  have  heard  thee,  saith  the  Lord.  There- 
fore, behold,  I  will  gather  thee  to  thy  fathers,  and  thou  shalt 
be  gathered  to  thy  grave  in  peace,  neither  shall  thine  eyes 
see  all  the  evil  which  I  will  bring  upon  this  place.  And 
they  brought  the  king  word  again. 

And  the  king  sent,  and  they  gathered  unto  him  all  the 
elders  of  Judah  and  of  Jerusalem.  And  the  king  went  up 
to  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  all  the  men  of  Judah  and 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  with  him,  and  the  priests, 
and  the  prophets,  and  all  the  people,  both  small  and  great : 
and  he  read  in  their  ears  all  the  words  of  the  book  of  the 
covenant  which  was  found  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  And 
the  king  stood  by  the  pillar,  and  made  a  covenant  before 
the  Lord,  to  walk  after  the  Lord,  and  to  keep  his  com- 
mandments, and  his  testimonies,  and  his  statutes,  with  all 
his  heart,  and  all  his  soul,  to  confirm  the  words  of  this 
covenant  that  v/ere  written  in  this  book  :  and  all  the  people 
stood  to  the  covenant.  And  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem 
did  according  to  the  covenant  of  God,  the  God  of  their 
fathers.  And  Josiah  took  away  all  the  abominations  out 
of  all  the  countries  that  pertained  to  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  made  all  that  were  found  in  Israel  to  serve,  even  to 
serve  the  Lord  their  God.  All  his  days  they  departed 
not  from  following  the  Lord,  the  God  of  their  fathers. 


249 


Notes  -^  Bible    Stories 


Notes  to  the  Kings  and  Prophets 

ii.  There  are  two  messengers  at  the  end  of  this  story.  One 
is  the  son  of  an  eminent  priest,  who  happens  to  be  a  swift 
runner ;  the  other  (the  Cushite,  or  Ethiopian)  is  a  servant,  a 
professional  runner.  Joab  is  unwilling  to  let  his  friend  Ahimaaz 
take  the  news  on  this  occasion,  because  he  foresaw  it  would  be 
unwelcome  to  the  king. 

iii.  All  that  in  modern  times  is  called  science,  or  philosophy, 
was  called  '  wisdom '  by  the  Hebrews.  Solomon  was  the  most 
eminent  of  the  wise  men  of  Israel,  and  they  looked  up  to  him 
as  the  founder  of  Hebrew  wisdom. 

iv.  To  your  tents,  O  Israel,  was  the  regular  cry  for  starting 
a  revolt  among  the  Israelites. 

V.  Baal  (sometimes  used  in  the  plural  form,  the  Baalini) 
was  an  idol  god,  or  group  of  idol  gods,  worshipped  in  the  great 
merchant  cities  of  Tyre  and  Zidon.  Introduced  into  Israel  by 
this  Zidonian  queen  Jezebel,  they  proved  the  most  dangerous 
of  all  the  forms  of  idolatry  which  corrupted  the  worship  of  the 
Israelites.  —  The  Asherah  (also  plural)  were  images  used  in  this 
or  similar  idolatrous  worship. —  The  prophets  of  Baal — they 
prophesied  until  the  ti?ne  of  the  ojfering,  etc. :  the  literal  mean- 
ing of  prophet  is  interpreter,  one  who  interprets  for  a  god.  As 
the  prophets  often  accompanied  their  inspired  utterances  with 
dancing,  or  violent  gestures,  these  gestures  of  the  prophets  of 
Baal  are  here  spoken  of  as  prophesying.  —  Sons  of  Belial :  a 
common  expression  for  vile  persons,  Belial  being  the  vilest  of  all 

250 


Kings    and    Prophets  6«-  Notes 

idol  gods.  —  Page  228.  Go  .  .  .  thou  shalt  anoint  Hazael,  etc. 
To  understand  the  point  of  this  Divine  message  it  is  necessary 
to  remember  who  the  prophets  were.  They  were  representa- 
tives of  the  original  idea  that  the  invisible  God  was  the  ruler 
of  Israel ;  the  kings  being  tolerated  only  so  long  as  they  faith- 
fully represented  him.  Thus  in  God's  commission  to  Elijah  he 
is  resuming  his  rule  of  Israel,  by  ordering  the  prophet  to  anoint, 
in  place  of  the  wicked  Ahab,  a  king  who  would  overthrow  Baal 
worshippers  with  a  violence  as  great  as  their  own.  Further,  as 
Elijah  had  been  depressed  by  the  thought  of  his  solitariness, 
he  is  commissioned  to  name  a  successor  to  carry  on  the  pro- 
phetic work  when  he  is  no  more.  —  Page  233.  Let  a  double 
portion  of  thy  spirit  be  upon  me  :  the  double  portion  was  the 
eldest  son's  inheritance;  Elisha  petitions  to  be  in  this  way  the 
foremost  successor  of  his  master. 

vi.  Page  239.  Two  mules'  burden  of  earth.  The  idea  of 
heathen  nations  at  this  time  was  that  a  god  was  a  local  being, 
having  power  only  in  the  country  where  he  was  worshipped. 
Thus  Naaman,  wishing  from  gratitude  to  worship  Israel's  God, 
supposed  it  necessary  to  have  a  portion  of  Israel's  land,  enough 
to  erect  an  altar  upon.  —  The  house  of  Ri7n7non  :  Rimmon  was 
the  chief  idol  god  worshipped  by  the  Syrians. 

vii.  Tartan  and  Rabsaris  and  Rabshakeh :  these  are  not 
names  of  persons,  but  titles  of  offices  in  the  Assyrian  army  and 
court.  We  should  say  the  Rabshakeh.  —  Page  241.  We  trust  in 
the  Lord  .  .  .  is  not  that  he  zvhose  high  places  and  altars  Heze- 
kiah  hath  taken  away  ?  The  worship  in  the  high  places  (moun- 
tain groves)  was  only  in  name  a  worship  of  the  Lord,  it  was 

251 


Notes  -^  Bible    Stories 

really  a  cover  for  idolatrous  and  wicked  rites.  Hezekiah  had 
been  fulfilling  the  law  in  putting  it  down.  But  the  Assyrian 
officer  either  misunderstands  this,  or  purposely  uses  it  to  frighten 
the  Jews  with  the  idea  that  the  king  has  offended  God. — 
Page  245.  O  Lord  .  .  .  that  sittest  upon  the  Cherubim.  This 
is  a  reference  to  the  Ark,  which  was  the  symbol  of  the  Divine 
presence.  Its  cover  was  called.  The  Mercy-seat,  and  on  it  were 
figures  of  angels,  or  cherubim,  whose  outspread  wings  covered 
the  whole  Mercy-seat.  —  Page  246.  Hast  thou  not  heard  how 
I  have  done  it  long  ago  ?  The  point  of  Isaiah's  words  to  the 
Assyrians  is  this :  that  all  the  victorious  career  of  which  the 
Assyrian  was  so  proud  was  simply  the  Lord's  way  of  using  him 
as  his  own  instrument  to  punish  the  wicked.  —  Psalms  46,  48, 
76,  were  composed  in  commemoration  of  this  overthrow  of 
Sennacherib. 

viii.  I  have  found  the  book  of  the  law.  What  exactly  was  the 
book  found  on  this  occasion  we  do  not  know :  but  it  is  certain 
that  the  portion  of  the  Bible  called  Deuteronomy  was  either 
the  whole  or  a  part  of  what  was  discovered,  and  it  was  this 
which  produced  the  great  impression. 
252 


BIBLE    STORIES 

The  Exile  and  Return 


Introduction  to  The  Exile  and  Return 

At  the  close  of  the  last  period  both  the  kingdoms  of 
Jitdah  a  fid  Israel  had  been  carried  away  into  captivity, 
So7nethi7ig  like  seventy  years  elapsed  before  there  was  any 
sign  of  their  deliverance ;  and  during  this  period  their 
Babylonian  conquerors  were  thetnselves  conquered  by  the 
Medes  ajid  Persians.  But  meanwhile  the  history  of  the 
Hebrew  people  is  not  entirely  lost:  certain  stories  pre- 
served in  other  parts  of  Scripticre  give  us  a  glimpse  of 
the  exiles  in  their  land  of  captivity. 

These  stories  of  the  Exile  are  a7nongst  the  most  famous 
stories  in  all  literature.  One  group  of  the^n  has  for  its 
heroes  Daniel  ajtd  three  less  distingtiished  co7np anions  of 
his,  no  ho  were  all  carried  together  i7ito  Babylo7t.  This 
Babylon  was  the  chief  city  of  the  Chaldeans,  a  people  dis- 
tinguished a77i07ig  the  7iations  of  a7itiquity  for  '  soothsayi7tg^ 
or  the  power  of  readi7ig  the  futtire  by  the  stars  or  other 
ineans.  By  the  aid  of  God  Da7tiel  a7id  his  co77tpa7iio7is 
were  able  to  surpass  the  Chaldeans  i7i  their  ow7i  art ;  they 
thus  were  raised  to  the  highest  positio7is  i7i  the  e77ipire. 
Alike  whe7i  they  were  lowly  a7id  whett  they  were  exalted, 
all  efforts  to  shake  their  fidelity  to  the  worship  of  their 
fathers''  God  proved  vain.     Thus  by  the  age7icy  of  Dattiel 


Introduction  ^  Bible    Stories 

and  his  fellows  the  Chosen  IVation  even  i?t  its  captivity 
was  enabled  to  cojitimie  its  ffiission  of  wit7iessing  for  God 
to  the  nations. 

As  the  men  of  the  Exile  are  represented  by  Daniel  and 
his  cojnpanioTis,  so  we  have  a  pictiere  of  the  wojnen  ifi  the 
beautifil  Story  of  Esther.  Who  exactly  is  the  mo7iarch 
alluded  to  under  the  name  Ahasiieriis  it  is  difficult  to 
detertnine ;  but  his  empire  is  said  to  consist  of  a  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  proviiices^  with  fews  scattered  through 
them  all.  Esther  was  a  girl  chosen  for  her  beatity,  after 
the  empire  had  been  searched  thi'ough  and  through.,  to  be- 
come the  queen  of  Ahasuerus.  She  had  not  told  her  fewish 
birth ;  and  her  cousin  Mordecai,  who  had  brought  her  up 
from  childhood,  remained  amongst  the  humbler  courtiers 
to  watch  over  her  safety.  By  the  skill  of  this  Mordecai,  and 
the  royal  position  of  Esther,  she  was  enabled,  though  at 
the  risk  of  her  life,  to  avert  a  dreadfil  blow  aifned  at  the 
fews  throughout  the  empire,  by  which  it  had  been  intended 
to  destroy  the  whole  race.  Mordecai  becatne  prime  minister 
of  the  empire,  and  the  deliverance  was  celebrated  by  an 
annual  feast  of  the  fews. 

At  last  came  the  Return  froin  Captivity.  This  was 
not  a  si7igle  incident,  but  a  series  of  migratio7is,  by  which 
successive  bands  of  exiles  were  permitted  to  return  to  the 
holy  la7id,  and  set  up  again  the  worship  of  God.  The 
effect  of  the  Exile  was  to  sift  for  ever  the  earnest  worship- 
pers of  God  from  the  Israelites  who  were  inclined  to 
256 


Exile    and    Return  Q^  Introduction 

idolatry ;  only  the  for7ner  ivotdd  care  to  return  to  Pales- 
tine, and  the  restored  community  was  not  the  Hebrew 
nation  but  the  Jewish  Church.  The  chief  names  connected 
with  the  Return  are  Ezra  and  Nehetniah.  The  portion 
of  Scripture  entitled  The  Chronicles  was  the  production 
of  this  restored  Jewish  Chtirch,  and  contains  the  docti- 
ments  throwifig  light  upon  the  Return  from  Exile.  One 
story  here  given  is  Neheniiah''s  description  of  his  journey 
from  Babylon  and  the  rebuildijtg  of  the  walls  of  Jerzisa- 
lem.  The  account  of  the  Renewal  of  the  Covenant ,  ttnder 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  between  God  and  his  restored  people^ 
and  the  prayer  in  which  the  whole  history  of  Israel  is 
reviewed,  jnake  ajt  appropriate  close  for  a  series  of  Old 
Testatnent  stories. 

s  257 


Stories  from  The  Exile  and  Return 

i.     Stories  of  the  Captives  in  Babylon 
The  Burning  Fiery  Furtiace 
The  Dreatn  of  the  Tree  that  was  cut  down 
Belshazza7'''s  Feast 
Daniel  in  the  Den  of  Liojis 

ii.     The  Story  of  Esther 

How  a  fewish  Afaide?i  became  a  Queen 

Hafuafi's  Wicked  Plot  and  how  it  was  overthrown 

Mordecai  Prime  Minister  of  the  Empire 

ii.     Stories  of  the  Return 

How  Nehe7fiiah  rebuilt  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem 
The  Renewal  of  the  Covenant  under  Ezra 
258 


stories  of  the  Captives  in  Babylon 

The  Burning  Fiery  Furnace 

Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  made  an  image  of  gold,  whose 
height  was  threescore  cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  six 
cubits  :  he  set  it  up  in  the  plain  of  Dura,  in  the  province  of 
Babylon.  Then  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  sent  to  gather 
together  the  satraps,  the  deputies,  and  the  governors,  the 
judges,  the  treasurers,  the  counsellors,  the  sheriffs,  and  all 
the  rulers  of  the  provinces,  to  come  to  the  dedication  of 
the  image  which  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  had  set  up. 
Then  the  satraps,  the  deputies,  and  the  governors,  the 
judges,  the  treasurers,  the  counsellors,  the  sheriffs,  and  all 
the  rulers  of  the  provinces,  were  gathered  together  unto 
the  dedication  of  the  image  that  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king 
had  set  up ;  and  they  stood  before  the  image  that  Nebu- 
chadnezzar had  set  up.  Then  the  herald  cried  aloud.  To 
you  it  is  commanded,  O  peoples,  nations,  and  languages, 
that  at  what  time  ye  hear  the  sound  of  the  cornet,  flute, 
harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  dulcimer,  and  all  kinds  of  music,  ye 
fall  down  and  worship  the  golden  image  that  Nebuchad- 
259 


Daniel  ^  Bible    Stories 

nezzar  the  king  hath  set  up :  and  whoso  falleth  not  down 
and  worshippeth  shall  the  same  hour  be  cast  into  the 
midst  of  a  burning  fiery  furnace.  Therefore  at  that  time, 
when  all  the  peoples  heard  the  sound  of  the  cornet,  flute, 
harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  and  all  kinds  of  music,  all  the 
peoples,  the  nations,  and  the  languages,  fell  down  and 
worshipped  the  golden  image  that  Nebuchadnezzar  the 
king  had  set  up. 

Wherefore  at  that  time  certain  Chaldeans  came  near,  and 
brought  accusation  against  the  Jews.  They  answered  and 
said  to  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king :  O  king,  live  for  ever. 
Thou,  O  king,  hast  made  a  decree,  that  every  man  that 
shall  hear  the  sound  of  the  cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut, 
psaltery,  and  dulcimer,  and  all  kinds  of  music,  shall  fall 
down  and  worship  the  golden  image :  and  whoso  falleth 
not  down  and  worshippeth,  shall  be  cast  into  the  midst  of 
a  burning  fiery  furnace.  There  are  certain  Jews  whom 
thou  hast  appointed  over  the  affairs  of  the  province  of 
Babylon,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego ;  these  men, 
O  king,  have  not  regarded  thee  :  they  serve  not  thy  gods, 
nor  worship  the  golden  image  which  thou  hast  set  up. 
Then  Nebuchadnezzar  in  his  rage  and  fury  commanded  to 
bring  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego.  Then  they 
brought  these  men  before  the  king.  Nebuchadnezzar 
answered  and  said  unto  them.  Is  it  of  purpose,  O  Sha- 
drach, Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  that  ye  serve  not  my  god, 
nor  worship  the  golden  image  which  I  have  set  up  ?  Now 
260 


Exile    and     Return  8«-  Daniel 

if  ye  be  ready  that  at  v/hat  time  ye  hear  the  sound  of  the 
cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  and  dulcimer,  and  all 
kinds  of  music,  ye  fall  down  and  worship  the  image  which 
I  have  made,  well :  but  if  ye  worship  not,  ye  shall  be  cast 
the  same  hour  into  the  midst  of  a  burning  fiery  furnace ; 
and  who  is  that  god  that  shall  deliver  you  out  of  my  hands  ? 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  answered  and  said  to 
the  king,  O  Nebuchadnezzar,  we  have  no  need  to  answer 
thee  in  this  matter.  If  it  be  so,  our  God  whom  we  serve 
is  able  to  deliver  us  from  the  burning  fiery  furnace ;  and 
he  will  deliver  us  out  of  thine  hand,  O  king.  But  if  not, 
be  it  known  unto  thee,  O  king,  that  we  will  not  serve  thy 
gods,  nor  worship  the  golden  image  which  thou  hast  set 
up.  Then  was  Nebuchadnezzar  full  of  fury,  and  the  form 
of  his  visage  was  changed  against  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abed-nego  :  therefore  he  spake,  and  commanded  that  they 
should  heat  the  furnace  seven  times  more  than  it  was  wont 
to  be  heated.  And  he  commanded  certain  mighty  men 
that  v/ere  in  his  army  to  bind  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abed-nego,  and  to  cast  them  into  the  burning  fiery  fur- 
nace. Then  these  men  were  bound  in  their  hosen,  their 
tunics,  and  their  mantles,  and  their  other  garments,  and 
were  cast  into  the  midst  of  the  burning  fiery  furnace. 
Therefore  because  the  king's  commandment  was  urgent, 
and  the  furnace  exceeding  hot,  the  flame  of  the  fire  slew 
those  men  that  took  up  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
nego.  And  these  three  men,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
261 


Daniel  -^  Bible    Stories 

Abed-nego,  fell  down  bound  into  the  midst  of  the  burning 
fiery  furnace. 

Then  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  was  astonied,  and  rose 
up  in  haste  :  he  spake  and  said  unto  his  counsellors,  Did 
not  we  cast  three  men  bound  into  the  midst  of  the  fire? 
They  answered  and  said  unto  the  king,  True,  O  king.  He 
answered  and  said,  Lo,  I  see  four  men  loose,  walking  in 
the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  they  have  no  hurt ;  and  the  as- 
pect of  the  fourth  is  like  a  son  of  the  gods.  Then  Nebu- 
chadnezzar came  near  to  the  mouth  of  the  burning  fiery 
furnace  :  he  spake  and  said,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
nego,  ye  servants  of  the  Most  High  God,  come  forth,  and 
come  hither.  Then  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego, 
came  forth  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire.  And  the  satraps, 
the  deputies,  and  the  governors,  and  the  king's  counsel- 
lors, being  gathered  together,  saw  these  men,  that  the  fire 
had  no  power  upon  their  bodies,  nor  was  the  hair  of  their 
head  singed,  neither  were  their  hosen  changed,  nor  had 
the  smell  of  fire  passed  on  them.  Nebuchadnezzar  spake 
and  said  :  Blessed  be  the  God  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abed-nego,  who  hath  sent  his  angel,  and  delivered  his 
servants  that  trusted  in  him,  and  have  changed  the  king's 
word,  and  have  yielded  their  bodies,  that  they  might  not 
serve  nor  worship  any  god,  except  their  own  God.  There- 
fore I  make  a  decree,  that  every  people,  nation,  and  lan- 
guage, which  speak  any  thing  amiss  against  the  God  of 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  shall  be  cut  in  pieces, 
262 


Exile    and    Return  8«-  Daniel 

and  their  houses  shall  be  made  a  dunghill :  because  there 
is  no  other  god  that  is  able  to  deliver  after  this  sort. 
Then  the  king  promoted  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
nego,  in  the  province  of  Babylon. 

The  Dreafn  of  the  Tree  that  was  cut  down 

*  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king,  unto  all  the  peoples,  nations, 
and  languages,  that  dwell  in  all  the  earth :  peace  be  multi- 
plied unto  you.  It  hath  seemed  good  unto  me  to  shew 
the  signs  and  wonders  that  the  Most  High  God '  hath 
wrought  toward  me.  How  great  are  his  signs!  and  how 
mighty  are  his  wonders!  his  kingdom  is  an  everlasting 
kingdom,  and  his  dominion  is  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion. 

'  I  Nebuchadnezzar  was  at  rest  in  mine  house,  and  flour- 
ishing in  my  palace.  I  saw  a  dream  which  made  me 
afraid ;  and  the  thoughts  upon  my  bed  and  the  visions  of 
my  head  troubled  me.  Therefore  made  I  a  decree  to 
bring  in  all  the  wise  men  of  Babylon  before  me,  that  they 
might  make  known  unto  me  the  interpretation  of  the 
dream.  Then  came  in  the  magicians,  the  enchanters,  the 
Chaldeans,  and  the  soothsayers  :  and  I  told  the  dream 
before  them ;  but  they  did  not  make  known  unto  me  the 
interpretation  thereof.  But  at  the  last  Daniel  came  in 
before  me,  whose  name  was  Belteshazzar,  according  to 
the  name  of  my  god,  and  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of  the  holy 
263 


Daniel  ^  Bible    Stories 

gods :  and  I  told  the  dream  before  him,  saying,  O  Belte- 
shazzar,  master  of  the  magicians,  because  I  know  that  the 
spirit  of  the  holy  gods  is  in  thee,  and  no  secret  troubleth 
thee,  tell  me  the  visions  of  my  dream  that  I  have  seen,  and 
the  interpretation  thereof. 

'  Thus  were  the  visions  of  my  head  upon  my  bed  :  I  saw, 
and  behold  a  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  earth,  and  the  height 
thereof  was  great.  The  tree  grew^,  and  was  strong,  and  the 
height  thereof  reached  unto  heaven,  and  the  sight  thereof 
to  the  end  of  all  the  earth.  The  leaves  thereof  were  fair, 
and  the  fruit  thereof  much,  and  in  it  was  meat  for  all :  the 
beasts  of  the  field  had  shadow  under  it,  and  the  fowls  of 
the  heaven  dwelt  in  the  branches  thereof,  and  all  flesh  was 
fed  of  it.  I  saw  in  the  visions  of  my  head  upon  my  bed, 
and,  behold,  a  watcher  and  an  holy  one  came  down  from 
heaven.  He  cried  aloud,  and  said  thus  :  "  Hew  down  the 
tree,  and  cut  oif  his  branches,  shake  off  his  leaves,  and 
scatter  his  fruit:  let  the  beasts  get  away  from  under  it, 
and  the  fowls  from  his  branches.  Nevertheless  leave  the 
stump  of  his  roots  in  the  earth,  even  with  a  band  of  iron 
and  brass,  in  the  tender  grass  of  the  field ;  and  let  it  be 
wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven,  and  let  his  portion  be  with 
the  beasts  in  the  grass  of  the  earth :  let  his  heart  be 
changed  from  man's,  and  let  a  beast's  heart  be  given  unto 
him ;  and  let  seven  times  pass  over  him :  to  the  intent 
that  the  living  may  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the 
kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will,  and 
264 


Exile    and     Return  8«^  Daniel 

setteth  up  over  it  the  lowest  of  men."  This  dream  I  king 
Nebuchadnezzar  have  seen :  and  thou,  O  Belteshazzar, 
declare  the  interpretation,  forasmuch  as  all  the  wise  men 
of  my  kingdom  are  not  able  to  make  known  unto  me  the 
interpretation ;  but  thou  art  able,  for  the  spirit  of  the  holy 
gods  is  in  thee. 

*  Then  Daniel,  whose  name  was  Belteshazzar,  was  aston- 
ied  for  a  while,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him.  The  king 
answered  and  said,  Belteshazzar,  let  not  the  dream,  or  the 
interpretation,  trouble  thee.  Belteshazzar  answered  and 
said,  My  lord,  the  dream  be  to  them  that  hate  thee,  and 
the  interpretation  thereof  to  thine  adversaries.  The  tree 
that  thou  sawest,  which  grew,  and  was  strong,  whose 
height  reached  unto  the  heaven,  and  the  sight  thereof  to 
all  the  earth  ;  whose  leaves  were  fair,  and  the  fruit  thereof 
much,  and  in  it  was  meat  for  all ;  under  which  the  beasts 
of  the  field  dwelt,  and  upon  whose  branches  the  fowls  of 
the  heaven  had  their  habitation ;  it  is  thou,  O  king,  that 
art  grown  and  become  strong :  for  thy  greatness  is  grown, 
and  reacheth  unto  heaven,  and  thy  dominion  to  the  end 
of  the  earth.  And  whereas  the  king  saw  a  watcher  and 
an  holy  one  coming  down  from  heaven,  and  saying.  Hew 
down  the  tree,  and  destroy  it;  nevertheless  leave  the 
stump  of  the  roots  thereof  in  the  earth,  even  with  a  band 
of  iron  and  brass,  in  the  tender  grass  of  the  field ;  and  let 
it  be  wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven,  and  let  his  portion  be 
with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  till  seven  times  pass  over  him ; 
265 


Daniel  -^g  Bible    Stories 

this  is  the  interpretation,  O  king,  and  it  is  the  decree  of 
the  Most  High,  which  is  come  upon  my  lord  the  king : 
that  thou  shalt  be  driven  from  men,  and  thy  dwelling 
shall  be  with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  thou  shalt  be 
made  to  eat  grass  as  oxen,  and  shalt  be  wet  with  the 
dew^  of  heaven,  and  seven  times  shall  pass  over  thee ;  till 
thou  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of 
men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will.  And  whereas 
they  commanded  to  leave  the  stump  of  the  tree  roots ; 
thy  kingdom  shall  be  sure  unto  thee,  after  that  thou  shalt 
have  known  that  the  heavens  do  rule.  Wherefore,  O 
king,  let  my  counsel  be  acceptable  unto  thee,  and  break 
off  thy  sins  by  righteousness,  and  thine  iniquities  by 
shewing  mercy  to  the  poor ;  if  there  may  be  a  lengthen- 
ing of  thy  tranquillity. 

'  All  this  came  upon  the  king  Nebuchadnezzar.  At  the 
end  of  twelve  months  he  was  walking  in  the  royal  palace 
of  Babylon.  The  king  spake  and  said.  Is  not  this  great 
Babylon,  w-hich  I  have  built  for  the  royal  dwelling  place, 
by  the  might  of  my  power  and  for  the  glory  of  my  maj- 
esty? While  the  word  was  in  the  king's  mouth,  there 
fell  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying:  "O  king  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, to  thee  it  is  spoken :  the  kingdom  is  departed 
from  thee.  And  thou  shalt  be  driven  from  men,  and  thy 
dwelling  shall  be  with  the  beasts  of  the  field ;  thou  shalt 
be  made  to  eat  grass  as  oxen,  and  seven  times  shall  pass 
over  thee ;  until  thou  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in 
266 


Exile    and    Return  ^  Daniel 

the  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he 
wiU."  The  same  hour  was  the  thing  fulfilled  upon  Nebu- 
chadnezzar :  and  he  was  driven  from  men,  and  did  eat 
grass  as  oxen,  and  his  body  was  wet  with  the  dew  of 
heaven,  till  his  hair  was  grown  like  eagles'  feathers,  and 
his  nails  like  birds'  claws.  And  at  the  end  of  the  days 
I  Nebuchadnezzar  lifted  up  mine  eyes  unto  heaven,  and 
mine  understanding  returned  unto  me,  and  I  blessed  the 
Most  High,  and  I  praised  and  honoured  him  that  liveth 
for  ever ;  for  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting  dominion, 
and  his  kingdom  from  generation  to  generation :  and  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  reputed  as  nothing :  and 
he  doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven,  and 
among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth:  and  none  can  stay 
his  hand,  or  say  unto  him,  What  doest  thou?  At  the 
same  time  mine  understanding  returned  unto  me ;  and 
for  the  glory  of  my  kingdom,  my  majesty  and  brightness 
returned  unto  me ;  and  my  counsellors  and  my  lords 
sought  unto  me ;  and  I  was  established  in  my  kingdom, 
and  excellent  greatness  was  added  unto  me. 

'Now  I  Nebuchadnezzar  praise  and  extol  and  honour 
the  King  of  heaven ;  for  all  his  works  are  truth,  and  his 
ways  judgement :  and  those  that  walk  in  pride  he  is  able 
to  abase.' 


267 


Daniel  ^  Bible    Stories 

Behhazzar^s  Feast 

Belshazzar  the  king  made  a  great  feast  to  a  thousand 
of  his  lords,  and  drank  wine  before  the  thousand.  Bel- 
shazzar, whiles  he  tasted  the  wine,  commanded  to  bring 
the  golden  and  silver  vessels  which  Nebuchadnezzar  his 
father  had  taken  out  of  the  temple  which  was  in  Jerusa- 
lem ;  that  the  king  and  his  lords  might  drink  therein. 
Then  they  brought  the  golden  vessels  that  were  taken 
out  of  the  temple  of  the  house  of  God  which  was  at 
Jerusalem;  and  the  king  and  his  lords  drank  in  them. 
They  drank  wine,  and  praised  the  gods  of  gold,  and  of 
silver,  of  brass,  of  iron,  of  wood,  and  of  stone.  In  the 
same  hour  came  forth  the  fingers  of  a  man's  hand,  and 
wrote  over  against  the  candlestick  upon  the  plaister  of 
the  wall  of  the  king's  palace  :  and  the  king  saw  the  part 
of  the  hand  that  wrote.  Then  the  king's  countenance 
was  changed  in  him,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him ;  and 
the  joints  of  his  loins  were  loosed,  and  his  knees  smote 
one  against  another.  The  king  cried  aloud  to  bring  in 
the  enchanters,  the  Chaldeans,  and  the  soothsayers.  The 
king  spake  and  said  to  the  wise  men  of  Babylon,  Whoso- 
ever shall  read  this  writing,  and  shew  me  the  interpre- 
tation thereof,  shall  be  clothed  with  purple,  and  have  a 
chain  of  gold  about  his  neck,  and  shall  rule  as  one  of 
three  in  the  kingdom.  Then  came  in  all  the  king's  wise 
men :  but  they  could  not  read  the  writing,  nor  make 
268 


Exile    and     Return  6«^  Daniel 

known  to  the  king  the  interpretation.  Then  was  king 
Belshazzar  greatly  troubled,  and  his  countenance  was 
changed  in  him,  and  his  lords  were  perplexed. 

Now  the  queen  by  reason  of  the  words  of  the  king  and 
his  lords  came  into  the  banquet  house :  the  queen  spake 
and  said :  O  king,  live  for  ever ;  let  not  thy  thoughts 
trouble  thee,  nor  let  thy  countenance  be  changed :  there  is 
a  man  in  thy  kingdom,  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of  the  holy 
gods ;  and  in  the  days  of  thy  father  light  and  under- 
standing and  wisdom,  like  the  wisdom  of  the  gods,  was 
found  in  him :  and  the  king  Nebuchadnezzar  thy  father, 
the  king,  I  say,  thy  father,  made  him  master  of  the  magi- 
cians, enchanters,  Chaldeans,  and  soothsayers  ;  forasmuch 
as  an  excellent  spirit,  and  knowledge,  and  understanding, 
interpreting  of  dreams,  and  shewing  of  dark  sentences, 
and  dissolving  of  doubts,  were  found  in  the  same  Daniel, 
whom  the  king  named  Belteshazzar.  Now  let  Daniel  be 
called,  and  he  will  shew  the  interpretation. 

Then  was  Daniel  brought  in  before  the  king.  The 
king  spake  and  said  unto  Daniel,  Art  thou  that  Daniel, 
which  art  of  the  children  of  the  captivity  of  Judah,  whom 
the  king  my  father  brought  out  of  Judah  ?  I  have  heard 
of  thee,  that  the  spirit  of  the  gods  is  in  thee,  and  that 
light  and  understanding  and  excellent  wisdom  is  found  in 
thee.  And  now  the  wise  men,  the  enchanters,  have  been 
brought  in  before  me,  that  they  should  read  this  writing, 
and  make  known  unto  me  the  interpretation  thereof:  but 
269 


Daniel  -^  Bible    Stories 

they  could  not  shew  the  interpretation  of  the  thing.  But 
I  have  heard  of  thee,  that  thou  canst  give  interpretations, 
and  dissolve  doubts :  now  if  thou  canst  read  the  writing, 
and  make  known  to  me  the  interpretation  thereof,  thou 
shalt  be  clothed  with  purple,  and  have  a  chain  of  gold 
about  thy  neck,  and  shalt  rule  as  one  of  three  in  the  king- 
dom. Then  Daniel  answered  and  said  before  the  king : 
Let  thy  gifts  be  to  thyself,  and  give  thy  rewards  to  another ; 
nevertheless  I  will  read  the  writing  unto  the  king,  and 
make  known  to  him  the  interpretation.  O  thou  king,  the 
Most  High  God  gave  Nebuchadnezzar  thy  father  the 
kingdom,  and  greatness,  and  glory,  and  majesty:  and 
because  of  the  greatness  that  he  gave  him,  all  the  peoples, 
nations,  and  languages  trembled  and  feared  before  him : 
whom  he  would  he  slew,  and  whom  he  would  he  kept 
alive ;  and  whom  he  would  he  raised  up,  and  whom  he 
would  he  put  down.  But  when  his  heart  was  lifted  up, 
and  his  spirit  was  hardened  that  he  dealt  proudly,  he  was 
deposed  from  his  kingly  throne,  and  they  took  his  glory 
from  him  :  and  he  was  driven  from  the  sons  of  men  ;  and 
his  heart  was  made  like  the  beasts,  and  his  dwelling  was 
with  the  wild  asses ;  he  was  fed  with  grass  like  oxen,  and 
his  body  was  wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven :  until  he  knew 
that  the  Most  High  God  ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men. 
and  that  he  setteth  up  over  it  whomsoever  he  will.  And 
thou  his  son,  O  Belshazzar,  hast  not  humbled  thine  heart, 
though  thou  knewest  all  this :  but  hast  lifted  up  thyself 
270 


Exile    and    Return  6«-  Daniel 

against  the  Lord  of  heaven ;  and  they  have  brought  the 
vessels  of  his  house  before  thee,  and  thou  and  thy  lords 
have  drunk  wine  in  them  ;  and  thou  hast  praised  the  gods 
of  silver,  and  gold,  of  brass,  iron,  wood,  and  stone,  which 
see  not,  nor  hear,  nor  know :  and  the  God  in  whose  hand 
thy  breath  is,  and  whose  are  all  thy  ways,  hast  thou  not 
glorified :  then  was  the  part  of  the  hand  sent  from  before 
him,  and  this  writing  was  inscribed.  And  this  is  the 
writins:  that  was  inscribed*  : 


M 

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N 

This  is  the  interpretation  of  the  thing :  — 

MENE 
God  hath  numbered  thy  kingdom : 
And  brought  it  to  an  end ! 

TEKEL 

Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balances  : 
And  art  found  wanting! 

[*  Daniel  reads  down,  up,  down:  instead  of  across.] 
271 


Daniel  -^  Bible    Stories 

PERES 

Thy  kingdom  is  divided  : 

And  given  to  the  Medes  and  Persians! 

Then  commanded  Belshazzar,  and  they  clothed  Daniel 
with  purple,  and  put  a  chain  of  gold  about  his  neck,  and 
made  proclamation  concerning  him,  that  he  should  rule  as 
one  of  three  in  the  kingdom.  In  that  night  Belshazzar  the 
Chaldean  king  was  slain,  and  Darius  the  Mede  received 
the  kingdom. 

Daniel  171  the  De',t  of  Lions 

It  pleased  Darius  to  set  over  the  kingdom  an  hundred 
and  twenty  satraps,  which  should  be  throughout  the  whole 
kingdom  ;  and  over  them  three  presidents,  of  whom  Daniel 
was  one  ;  that  these  satraps  might  give  account  unto  them, 
and  that  the  king  should  have  no  damage.  Then  this 
Daniel  was  distinguished  above  the  presidents  and  the 
satraps,  because  an  excellent  spirit  was  in  him ;  and  the 
king  thought  to  set  him  over  the  whole  realm. 

Then  the  presidents  and  the  satraps  sought  to  find 
occasion  against  Daniel  as  touching  the  kingdom ;  but 
they  could  find  none  occasion  nor  fault ;  forasmuch  as  he 
was  faithful,  neither  was  there  any  error  or  fault  found  in 
him.  Then  said  these  men,  We  shall  not  find  any  occa- 
sion against  this  Daniel,  except  we  find  it  against  him 
272 


Exile    and     Return  B^  Daniel 

concerning  the  law  of  his  God.  Then  these  presidents 
and  satraps  assembled  together  to  the  king,  and  said  thus 
unto  him :  King  Darius,  live  for  ever.  All  the  presidents 
of  the  kingdom,  the  deputies  and  the  satraps,  the  counsel- 
lors and  the  governors,  have  consulted  together  to  estab- 
lish a  royal  statute,  and  to  make  a  strong  interdict,  that 
whosoever  shall  ask  a  petition  of  any  god  or  man  for 
thirty  days,  save  of  thee,  O  king,  he  shall  be  cast  into  the 
den  of  lions.  Now,  O  king,  establish  the  interdict,  and  sign 
the  writing,  that  it  be  not  changed,  according  to  the  law 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  which  altereth  not.  Where- 
fore king  Darius  signed  the  writing  and  the  interdict. 

And  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was  signed,  he 
went  into  his  house ;  (now  his  windows  were  open  in  his 
chamber  toward  Jerusalem;)  and  he  kneeled  upon  his 
knees  three  times  a  day,  and  prayed,  and  gave  thanks  be- 
fore his  God,  as  he  did  aforetime.  Then  these  men  as- 
sembled together,  and  found  Daniel  making  petition  and 
supplication  before  his  God.  Then  they  came  near,  and 
spake  before  the  king  concerning  the  king^s  interdict : 
Hast  thou  not  signed  an  interdict,  that  every  man  that 
shall  make  petition  unto  any  god  or  man  within  thirty 
days,  save  unto  thee,  O  king,  shall  be  cast  into  the  den  of 
lions?  The  king  answered  and  said.  The  thing  is  true, 
according  to  the  law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  which 
altereth  not.  Then  answered  they  and  said  before  the 
king,  That  Daniel,  which  is  of  the  children  of  the  cap- 
T  273 


Daniel  ^  Bible    Stories 

tivity  of  Judah,  regardeth  not  thee,  O  king,  nor  the  inter- 
dict that  thou  hast  signed,  but  maketh  his  petition  three 
times  a  day.  Then  the  king,  when  he  heard  these  words, 
was  sore  displeased,  and  set  his  heart  on  Daniel  to  deliver 
him  :  and  he  laboured  till  the  going  down  of  the  sun  to 
rescue  him.  Then  these  men  assembled  together  unto 
the  king,  and  said  unto  the  king.  Know,  O  king,  that  it 
is  a  law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  that  no  interdict  nor 
statute  which  the  king  establisheth  may  be  changed. 
Then  the  king  commanded,  and  they  brought  Daniel  and 
cast  him  into  the  den  of  lions.  Now  the  king  spake  and 
said  unto  Daniel,  Thy  God  whom  thou  servest  continually, 
he  will  deliver  thee.  And  a  stone  was  brought,  and  laid 
upon  the  mouth  of  the  den ;  and  the  king  sealed  it  with 
his  own  signet,  and  with  the  signet  of  his  lords ;  that 
nothing  might  be  changed  concerning  Daniel. 

Then  the  king  went  to  his  palace,  and  passed  the  night 
fasting  ;  neither  were  instruments  of  music  brought  before 
him;  and  his  sleep  fled  from  him.  Then  the  king  arose 
very  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  in  haste  unto  the 
den  of  lions.  And  when  he  came  near  unto  the  den  to 
Daniel,  he  cried  with  a  lamentable  voice :  the  king  spake 
and  said  to  Daniel,  O  Daniel,  servant  of  the  living  God, 
is  thy  God,  whom  thou  servest  continually,  able  to  deliver 
thee  from  the  lions?  Then  said  Daniel  unto  the  king, 
O  king,  live  for  ever.  My  God  hath  sent  his  angel,  and 
hath  shut  the  lions'  mouths,  and  they  have  not  hurt  me  : 
274 


Exile    and     Return  B«-  Esther 

forasmuch  as  before  him  innocency  was  found  in  me ;  and 
also  before  thee,  O  king,  have  I  done  no  hurt.  Then 
was  the  king  exceeding  glad  and  commanded  that  they 
should  take  Daniel  up  out  of  the  den.  So  Daniel  was 
taken  up  out  of  the  den,  and  no  manner  of  hurt  was  found 
upon  him,  because  he  had  trusted  in  his  God.  And  the 
king  commanded,  and  they  brought  those  men  which  had 
accused  Daniel,  and  they  cast  them  into  the  den  of  lions, 
them,  their  children,  and  their  wives ;  and  the  lions  had 
the  mastery  of  them,  and  brake  all  their  bones  in  pieces, 
or  ever  they  came  at  the  bottom  of  the  den. 


U 

The  Story  of  Esther 

How  a  Jewish  Maiden  beca7ne  a  Queen 

Now  it  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  Ahasuerus,  (this  is 
Ahasuerus  which  reigned,  from  India  even  unto  Ethiopia, 
over  an  hundred  and  seven  and  twenty  provinces :)  that 
in  those  days,  when  the  king  Ahasuerus  sat  on  the  throne 
of  his  kingdom,  which  was  in  Shushan  the  palace,  in  the 
third  year  of  his  reign,  he  made  a  feast  unto  all  his 
princes  and  his  servants ;  the  power  of  Persia  and  Media, 
275 


Esther  -^  Bible    Stories 

the  nobles  and  princes  of  the  provinces,  being  before 
hhn :  when  he  shewed  the  riches  of  his  glorious  kingdom 
and  the  honour  of  his  excellent  majesty  many  days,  even 
an  hundred  and  fourscore  days.  And  when  these  days 
were  fulfilled,  the  king  made  a  feast  unto  all  the  people 
that  were  present  in  Shushan  the  palace,  both  great  and 
small,  5even  days,  in  the  court  of  the  garden  of  the  king's 
palace. 

On  the  seventh  day,  when  the  heart  of  the  king  was 
merry  with  wine,  he  commanded  the  seven  chamberlains 
to  bring  Vashti  the  queen  before  the  king  with  the  crown 
royal,  to  shew  the  peoples  and  the  princes  her  beauty :  for 
she  was  fair  to  look  on.  But  the  queen  Vashti  refused  to 
come  at  the  king's  commandment :  therefore  was  the  king 
very  wroth,  and  his  anger  burned  in  him.  Then  the  king 
said  to  the  wise  men,  What  shall  we  do  unto  the  queen 
Vashti  according  to  law,  because  she  hath  not  done  the 
bidding  of  the  king  Ahasuerus?  And  Alemucan  answered 
before  the  king  and  the  princes  :  '  If  it  please  the  king,  let 
there  go  forth  a  royal  commandment  from  him,  and  let  it 
be  written  among  the  laws  of  the  Persians  and  the  Medes 
that  it  be  not  altered,  that  Vashti  come  no  more  before 
king  Ahasuerus ;  and  let  the  king  give  her  royal  estate 
unto  another  that  is  better  than  she.'  And  the  saying 
pleased  the  king  and  the  princes ;  and  the  king  did  ac- 
cording to  the  word  of  Memucan. 

After  these  things,  when  the  wrath  of  king  Ahasuerus 
276 


Exile    and    Return  6«^  Esther 

was  pacified,  he  remembered  Vashti,  and  what  she  had 
done,  and  what  was  decreed  against  her.  Then  said  the 
king's  servants  that  ministered  unto  him.  Let  there  be 
fair  young  virgins  sought  for  the  king :  and  let  the  king 
appoint  officers  in  all  the  provinces  of  his  kingdom,  that 
they  may  gather  together  all  the  fair  young  virgins  unto 
Shushan  the  palace  ;  and  let  the  maiden  which  pleaseth  the 
king  be  queen  instead  of  Vashti.  And  the  thing  pleased 
the  king ;  and  he  did  so. 

There  was  a  certain  Jew  in  Shushan  the  palace,  whose 
name  was  Mordecai,  a  Benjamite ;  who  had  been  carried 
away  from  Jerusalem  with  the  captives  which  had  been 
carried  away  with  Jeconiah  king  of  Judah,  whom  Nebu- 
chadnezzar the  king  of  Babylon  had  carried  away.  And 
he  brought  up  Hadassah,  that  is,  Esther,  his  uncle's 
daughter :  for  she  had  neither  father  nor  mother,  and  the 
maiden  was  fair  and  beautiful ;  and  when  her  father  and 
mother  were  dead,  Mordecai  took  her  for  his  own  daugh- 
ter. So  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king's  commandment 
and  his  decree  was  heard,  and  when  many  maidens  were 
gathered  together  unto  Shushan  the  palace,  that  Esther 
was  taken  into  the  king's  house.  And  the  king  loved 
Esther  above  all  the  women,  and  she  obtained  grace  and 
favour  in  his  sight  more  than  all  the  virgins ;  so  that  he 
set  the  royal  crown  upon  her  head,  and  made  her  queen 
instead  of  Vashti.  Then  the  king  made  a  great  feast  unto 
all  his  princes  and  his  servants,  even  Esther's  feast ;  and 
277 


Esther  -^  Bible    Stories 

he  made  a  release  to  the  provinces,  and  gave  gifts,  accord- 
ing to  the  bounty  of  the  king. 

In  those  days,  while  Mordecai  sat  in  the  king's  gate,  two 
of  the  king's  chamberlains,  Bigthan  and  Teresh,  of  those 
which  kept  the  door,  were  wroth,  and  sought  to  lay  hands 
on  the  king  Ahasuerus.  And  the  thing  was  known  to 
Mordecai,  who  shewed  it  unto  Esther  the  queen;  and 
Esther  told  the  king  thereof  in  Alordecai's  name.  And 
when  inquisition  was  made  of  the  matter,  and  it  was  found 
to  be  so,  they  were  both  hanged  on  a  tree :  and  it  was 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  before  the  king. 

HamajCs  Wicked  Plot,  a7id  how  it  was  Overthrown 

After  these  things  did  king  Ahasuerus  promote  Haman 
the  Agagite,  and  advanced  him  and  set  his  seat  above  all 
the  princes  that  were  with  him.  And  all  the  king's  ser- 
vants, that  were  in  the  king's  gate,  bowed  down,  and  did 
reverence  to  Haman  :  for  the  king  had  so  commanded  con- 
cerning him.  But  Mordecai  bowed  not  down,  nor  did 
him  reverence.  Then  the  king's  servants,  that  were  in  the 
king's  gate,  said  unto  Mordecai,  Why  transgressest  thou 
the  king's  commandment?  Now  it  came  to  pass,  when 
they  spake  daily  unto  him,  and  he  hearkened  not  unto 
them,  that  they  told  Haman.  And  when  Haman  saw  that 
Mordecai  bowed  not  down,  nor  did  him  reverence,  then 
was  Haman  full  of  wrath.  But  he  thought  scorn  to  lay 
278 


Exile    and    Return  6«^  Esther 

hands  on  Mordecai  alone ;  wherefore  Haman  sought  to 
destroy  all  the  Jews  that  were  throughout  the  whole  king- 
dom of  Ahasuerus,  even  the  people  of  Mordecai. 

And  Haman  said  unto  king  Ahasuerus,  There  is  a  cer- 
tain people  scattered  abroad  and  dispersed  among  the 
peoples  in  all  the  provinces  of  thy  kingdom ;  and  their 
laws  are  diverse  from  those  of  every  people ;  neither  keep 
they  the  king's  laws :  therefore  it  is  not  for  the  king's 
profit  to  suffer  them.  If  it  please  the  king,  let  it  be  writ- 
ten that  they  be  destroyed :  and  I  will  pay  ten  thousand 
talents  of  silver  into  the  hands  of  those  that  have  the 
charge  of  the  king's  business,  to  bring  it  into  the  king's 
treasuries.  And  the  king  took  his  ring  from  his  hand, 
and  gave  it  unto  Haman  the  Agagite,  the  Jews'  enemy. 
And  the  king  said  unto  Haman,  The  silver  is  given  to 
thee,  the  people  also,  to  do  with  them  as  it  seemeth  good 
to  thee. 

Then  were  the  king's  scribes  called  in  the  first  month, 
on  the  thirteenth  day  thereof,  and  there  was  written  ac- 
cording to  all  that  Haman  commanded  unto  the  king's 
satraps,  and  to  the  governors  that  were  over  every  prov- 
ince, and  to  the  princes  of  every  people  ;  to  every  province 
according  to  the  writing  thereof,  and  to  every  people  after 
their  language  ;  in  the  name  of  king  Ahasuerus  was  it  writ- 
ten, and  it  was  sealed  with  the  king's  ring.  And  letters 
were  sent  by  posts  into  all  the  king's  provinces,  to  destroy, 
to  slay,  and  to  cause  to  perish,  all  Jews,  both  young  and 
279 


Esther  .  -^Bible    Stories 

old,  little  children  and  ^vomen,  in  one  day,  even  upon  the 
thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth  month,  which  is  the  month 
Adar,  and  to  take  the  spoil  of  them  for  a  prey.  And  the 
king  and  Haman  sat  down  to  drink ;  but  the  city  of  Shu- 
shan  was  perplexed. 

Now  when  Mordecai  knew  all  that  was  done,  Mordecai 
rent  his  clothes,  and  put  on  sackcloth  with  ashes,  and 
went  out  into  the  midst  of  the  city,  and  cried  with  a  loud 
and  a  bitter  cry:  and  he  came  even  before  the  king's 
gate  :  for  none  might  enter  within  the  king's  gate  clothed 
with  sackcloth.  And  in  every  province,  whithersoever  the 
king's  commandment  and  his  decree  came,  there  was  great 
mourning  among  the  Jews,  and  fasting,  and  weeping,  and 
wailing;  and  many  lay  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  And 
Esther's  maidens  and  her  chamberlains  came  and  told  it 
her ;  and  the  queen  was  exceedingly  grieved  :  and  she  sent 
raiment  to  clothe  Mordecai,  and  to  take  his  sackcloth  from 
off  him  :  but  he  received  it  not.  Then  called  Esther  for 
Hathach,  one  of  the  king's  chamberlains,  whom  he  had 
appointed  to  attend  upon  her,  and  charged  him  to  go  to 
Mordecai,  to  know  what  this  was,  and  why  it  was.  So 
Hathach  went  forth  to  Mordecai  unto  the  broad  place  of 
the  city,  which  was  before  the  king's  gate.  And  Mordecai 
told  him  of  all  that  had  happened  unto  him,  and  the  exact 
sum  of  the  money  that  Haman  had  promised  to  pay  to  the 
king's  treasuries  for  the  Jews,  to  destroy  them.  Also  he 
gave  him  the  copy  of  the  writing  of  the  decree  that  was 
2S0 


Exile    and     Return  S«--  Esther 

given  out  in  Shushan  to  destroy  them,  to  shew  it  unto 
Esther,  and  to  declare  it  unto  her ;  and  to  charge  her  that 
she  should  go  in  unto  the  king,  to  make  supplication  unto 
him,  and  to  make  request  before  him,  for  her  people. 
And  Hathach  came  and  told  Esther  the  words  of  Mor- 
decai.  Then  Esther  spake  unto  Hathach,  and  gave  him 
a  message  unto  Mordecai,  saying :  All  the  king's  servants, 
and  the  people  of  the  king's  provinces,  do  know,  that  who- 
soever, whether  man  or  woman,  shall  come  unto  the  king 
into  the  inner  court,  who  is  not  called,  there  is  one  law  for 
him,  that  he  be  put  to  death,  except  such  to  whom  the 
king  shall  hold  out  the  golden  sceptre,  that  he  may  live : 
but  I  have  not  been  called  to  come  in  unto  the  king  these 
thirty  days.  And  they  told  to  Mordecai  Esther's  words. 
Then  Mordecai  bade  them  return  answer  unto  Esther, 
Think  not  with  thyself  that  thou  shalt  escape  in  the  king's 
house,  more  than  all  the  Jews.  For  if  thou  altogether 
boldest  thy  peace  at  this  time,  then  shall  rehef  and  deliver- 
ance arise  to  the  Jews  from  another  place,  but  thou  and 
thy  father's  house  shall  perish.  And  who  knoweth  whether 
thou  art  not  come  to  the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  as  this  ? 
Then  Esther  bade  them  return  answer  unto  Mordecai,  Go, 
gather  together  all  the  Jews  that  are  present  in  Shushan, 
and  fast  ye  for  me,  and  neither  eat  nor  drink  three  days, 
night  or  day :  I  also  and  my  maidens  will  fast  in  like  man- 
ner ;  and  so  will  I  go  in  unto  the  king,  which  is  not  accord- 
ing to  the  law:  and  if  I  perish,  I  perish.     So  Mordecai 

28l 


Esther  -^  Bible    Stories 

went  his  way,  and  did  according  to  all  that  Esther  had 
commanded  him. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  that  Esther  put 
on  her  royal  apparel,  and  stood  in  the  inner  court  of  the 
king's  house,  over  against  the  king's  house  :  and  the  king 
sat  upon  his  royal  throne  in  the  royal  house,  over  against 
the  entrance  of  the  house.  And  it  was  so,  when  the  king 
saw  Esther  the  queen  standing  in  the  court,  that  she  ob- 
tained favour  in  his  sight :  and  the  king  held  out  to  Esther 
the  golden  sceptre  that  was  in  his  hand.  So  Esther  drew 
near,  and  touched  the  top  of  the  sceptre.  Then  said  the 
king  unto  her.  What  wilt  thou,  queen  Esther?  and  what  is 
thy  request?  it  shall  be  given  thee  even  to  the  half  of  the 
kingdom.  And  Esther  said.  If  it  seem  good  unto  the  king, 
let  the  king  and  Haman  come  this  day  unto  the  banquet 
that  I  have  prepared  for  him.  Then  the  king  said.  Cause 
Haman  to  make  haste,  that  it  may  be  done  as  Esther  hath 
said.  So  the  king  and  Haman  came  to  the  banquet  that 
Esther  had  prepared.  And  the  king  said  unto  Esther  at 
the  banquet  of  wine.  What  is  thy  petition?  and  it  shall  be 
granted  thee  :  and  what  is  thy  request?  even  to  the  half  of 
the  kingdom  it  shall  be  performed.  Then  answered  Esther, 
and  said,  My  petition  and  my  request  is  ;  if  I  have  found 
favour  in  the  sight  of  the  king,  and  if  it  please  the  king 
to  grant  my  petition,  and  to  perform  my  request,  let  the 
king  and  Haman  come  to  the  banquet  that  I  shall  prepare 
for  them,  and  I  will  do  tomorrow  as  the  king  hath  said. 
282 


Exile    and    Return  ^  Esther 

Then  went  Haman  forth  that  day  joyful  and  glad  of 
heart :  but  when  Haman  saw  Mordecai  in  the  king's  gate, 
that  he  stood  not  up  nor  moved  for  him,  he  was  filled  with 
wrath  against  Mordecai.  Nevertheless  Haman  refrained 
himself,  and  went  home;  and  he  sent  and  fetched  his 
friends  and  Zeresh  his  wife.  And  Haman  recounted  unto 
them  the  glory  of  his  riches,  and  the  multitude  of  his  chil- 
dren, and  all  the  things  wherein  the  king  had  promoted 
him,  and  how  he  had  advanced  him  above  the  princes  and 
servants  of  the  king.  Haman  said  moreover,  Yea,  Esther 
the  queen  did  let  no  man  come  in  with  the  king  unto  the 
banquet  that  she  had  prepared  but  myself;  and  tomorrow 
also  am  I  invited  by  her  together  with  the  king.  Yet  all 
this  availeth  me  nothing,  so  long  as  I  see  Mordecai  the 
Jew  sitting  at  the  king'^s  gate.  Then  said  Zeresh  his  wife 
and  all  his  friends  unto  him.  Let  a  gallows  be  made  of 
fifty  cubits  high,  and  in  the  morning  speak  thou  unto  the 
king  that  Mordecai  may  be  hanged  thereon :  then  go  thou 
in  merrily  with  the  king  unto  the  banquet.  And  the  thing 
pleased  Haman ;  and  he  caused  the  gallows  to  be  made. 

On  that  night  could  not  the  king  sleep ;  and  he  com- 
manded to  bring  the  book  of  records  of  the  chronicles, 
and  they  were  read  before  the  king.  And  it  was  found 
written,  that  Mordecai  had  told  of  Bigthana  and  Teresh, 
two  of  the  king's  chamberlains,  of  those  that  kept  the 
door,  who  had  sought  to  lay  hands  on  the  king  Ahasuerus- 
And  the  king  said,  What  honour  and  dignity  hath  been 
283 


Esther  ^  Bible    Stories 

done  to  Mordecai  for  this?  Then  said  the  king's  servants 
that  ministered  unto  him,  There  is  nothing  done  for  him. 
And  the  king  said,  Who  is  in  the  court?  Now  Haman 
was  come  into  the  outward  court  of  the  king's  house,  to 
speak  unto  the  king  to  hang  Mordecai  on  the  gallows  that 
he  had  prepared  for  him.  And  the  king's  servants  said 
unto  him,  Behold,  Haman  standeth  in  the  court.  And  the 
king  said.  Let  him  come  in.  So  Haman  came  in.  And 
the  king  said  unto  him.  What  shall  be  done  unto  the  man 
whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honour?  Now  Haman  said 
in  his  heart,  To  whom  would  the  king  delight  to  do  honour 
more  than  to  myself?  And  Haman  said  unto  the  king. 
For  the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honour,  let  royal 
apparel  be  brought  which  the  king  useth  to  wear,  and  the 
horse  that  the  king  rideth  upon,  and  on  the  head  of  which 
a  crown  royal  is  set :  and  let  the  apparel  and  the  horse  be 
delivered  to  the  hand  of  one  of  the  king's  most  noble 
princes,  that  they  may  array  the  man  withal  whom  the 
king  delighteth  to  honour,  and  cause  him  to  ride  on  horse- 
back through  the  street  of  the  city,  and  proclaim  before 
him,  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  king 
delighteth  to  honour.  Then  the  king  said  to  Haman, 
Make  haste,  and  take  the  apparel  and  the  horse,  as  thou 
hast  said,  and  do  even  so  to  Mordecai  the  Jew,  that  sitteth 
at  the  king's  gate :  let  nothing  fail  of  all  that  thou  hast 
spoken. 

Then  took  Haman  the  apparel  and  the  horse,  and  ar- 
284 


Exile    and     Return  8«-  Esther 

rayed  Mordecai,  and  caused  him  to  ride  through  the  street 
of  the  city,  and  proclaimed  before  him,  Thus  shall  it  be 
done  unto  the  man  whom  the  king  dehghteth  to  honour. 
And  Mordecai  came  again  to  the  king's  gate.  But  Haman 
hasted  to  his  house,  mourning  and  having  his  head  cov- 
ered. And  Haman  recounted  unto  Zeresh  his  wife  and  all 
his  friends  every  thing  that  had  befallen  him.  Then  said 
his  wise  men  and  Zeresh  his  wife  unto  him,  If  Mordecai, 
before  whom  thou  hast  begun  to  fall,  be  of  the  seed  of  the 
Jews,  thou  shalt  not  prevail  against  him,  but  shalt  surely 
fall  before  him.  While  they  were  yet  talking  with  him, 
came  the  king's  chamberlains,  and  hasted  to  bring  Haman 
unto  the  banquet  that  Esther  had  prepared. 

So  the  king  and  Haman  came  to  banquet  with  Esther 
the  queen.  And  the  king  said  again  unto  Esther  on  the 
second  day  at  the  banquet  of  wine,  What  is  thy  petition, 
queen  Esther?  and  it  shall  be  granted  thee:  and  what  is 
thy  request?  even  to  the  half  of  the  kingdom  it  shall  be 
performed.  Then  Esther  the  queen  answered  and  said,  If 
I  have  found  favour  in  thy  sight,  O  king,  and  if  it  please 
the  king,  let  my  life  be  given  me  at  my  petition,  and  my 
people  at  my  request :  for  we  are  sold,  I  and  my  people,  to 
be  destroyed,  to  be  slain,  and  to  perish.  But  if  we  had 
been  sold  for  bondmen  and  bondwomen,  I  had  held  my 
peace,  although  the  adversary  could  not  have  compensated 
for  the  king's  damage.  Then  spake  the  king  Ahasuerus 
and  said  unto  Esther  the  queen.  Who  is  he,  and  where  is 
28s 


Esther  -^  Bible    Stories 

he,  that  durst  presume  in  his  heart  to  do  so  ?  And  Esther 
said.  An  adversary  and  an  enemy,  even  this  wicked  Haman. 
Then  Haman  was  afraid  before  the  king  and  the  queen. 
And  the  king  arose  in  his  wrath  from  the  banquet  of 
wine.  Then  said  Harbonah,  one  of  the  chamberlains  that 
were  before  the  king,  Behold  also,  the  gallows  fifty  cubits 
high,  which  Haman  hath  made  for  Alordecai,  who  spake 
good  for  the  king,  standeth  in  the  house  of  Haman.  And 
the  king  said,  Hang  him  thereon.  So  they  hanged  Haman 
on  the  gallows  that  he  had  prepared  for  Mordecai.  Then 
was  the  king's  wrath  pacified. 

Moj'decai  Prime  Mmister  of  the  Empire 

On  that  day  did  the  king  Ahasuerus  give  the  house  of 
Haman  the  Jews'  enemy  unto  Esther  the  queen.  And 
Mordecai  came  before  the  king ;  for  Esther  had  told  what 
he  was  unto  her.  And  the  king  took  off  his  ring,  which 
he  had  taken  from  Haman,  and  gave  it  unto  Mordecai. 
And  Esther  set  Mordecai  over  the  house  of  Haman.  And 
Esther  spake  yet  again  before  the  king,  and  fell  down  at 
his  feet,  and  besought  him  with  tears  to  put  away  the  mis- 
chief of  Haman  the  Agagite.  and  his  device  that  he  had 
devised  against  the  Jews.  Then  the  king  held  out  to 
Esther  the  golden  sceptre.  So  Esther  arose,  and  stood 
before  the  king.  And  she  said.  If  it  please  the  king,  and 
if  I  have  found  favour  in  his  sight,  and  the  thing  seern 
286 


Exile    and    Return  B^  Esther 

right  before  the  king,  and  I  be  pleasing  in  his  eyes,  let  it 
be  written  to  reverse  the  letters  devised  by  Haman  the 
Agagite,  which  he  wrote  to  destroy  the  Jews  which 
are  in  all  the  king's  provinces :  for  how  can  I  endure  to 
see  th^evil  that  shall  come  unto  my  people  ?  or  how  can 
I  endure  to  see  the  destruction  of  my  kindred?  Then  the 
king  Ahasuerus  said  unto  Esther  the  queen  and  to  Mordecai 
the  Jew,  Behold,  I  have  given  Esther  the  house  of  Haman, 
and  him  they  have  hanged  upon  the  gallows,  because  he 
laid  his  hand  upon  the  Jews.  Write  ye  also  to  the  Jews, 
as  it  liketh  you,  in  the  king's  name,  and  seal  it  with 
the  king's  ring :  for  the  writing  which  is  written  in  the 
king's  name,  and  sealed  with  the  king's  ring,  may  no  man 
reverse. 

Then  were  the  king's  scribes  called  at  that  time,  in  the 
third  month,  w^hich  is  the  month  Sivan,  on  the  three  and 
twentieth  day  thereof;  and  it  was  written  according  to  all 
that  Mordecai  commanded  unto  the  Jews,  and  to  the 
satraps,  and  the  governors  and  princes  of  the  provinces 
which  are  from  India  unto  Ethiopia,  an  hundred  twenty 
and  seven  provinces,  unto  every  province  according  to  the 
writing  thereof,  and  unto  every  people  after  their  language, 
and  to  the  Jews  according  to  their  writing,  and  according 
to  their  language.  And  he  wrote  in  the  name  of  king 
Ahasuerus,  and  sealed  it  with  the  king's  ring,  and  sent 
letters  by  posts  on  horseback,  riding  on  swift  steeds  that 
were  used  in  the  king's  service  :  wherein  the  king  granted 
287 


Esther  ^  Bible    Stories 

the  Jews  which  were  in  every  city  to  gather  themselves 
together,  and  to  stand  for  their  Hfe,  to  destroy,  to  slay, 
and  to  cause  to  perish,  all  the  power  of  the  people  and 
province  that  would  assault  them,  their  little  ones  and 
women,  and  to  take  the  spoil  of  them  for  a  prey,  upon  one 
day  in  all  the  provinces  of  king  Ahasuerus,  namely,  upon 
the  thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth  month,  which  is  the 
month  Adar.  So  the  posts  that  rode  upon  swift  steeds 
that  were  used  in  the  king's  service  went  out,  being 
hastened  and  pressed  on  by  the  king's  commandment. 

And  Mordecai  went  forth  from  the  presence  of  the  king 
in  royal  apparel  of  blue  and  white,  and  with  a  great  crown 
of  gold,  and  with  a  robe  of  fine  linen  and  purple :  and  the 
city  of  Shushan  shouted  and  was  glad.  The  Jews  had  light 
and  gladness,  and  joy  and  honour.  And  in  every  province 
and  in  every  city,  whithersoever  the  king's  commandment 
and  his  decree  came,  the  Jews  had  gladness  and  joy,  a 
feast  and  a  good  day.  And  many  from  among  the  peoples 
of  the  land  became  Jews ;  for  the  fear  of  the  Jews  was 
fallen  upon  them. 

Now  in  the  twelfth  month,  which  is  the  month  Adar,  on 
the  thirteenth  day  of  the  same,  when  the  king's  command- 
ment and  his  decree  drew  near  to  be  put  in  execution,  in 
the  day  that  the  enemies  of  the  Jews  hoped  to  have  rule 
over  them ;  wdiereas  it  was  turned  to  the  contrary,  that  the 
Jews  had  rule  over  them  that  hated  them ;  the  Jews  gath- 
ered themselves  together  in  their  cities  throughout  all  the 
288 


Exile    and     Return  8«-  Esther 

provinces  of  the  king  Ahasuerus,  to  lay  hand  on  such  as 
sought  their  hurt :  and  no  man  could  withstand  them ;  for 
the  fear  of  them  was  fallen  upon  all  the  peoples.  And  all 
the  princes  of  the  provinces,  and  the  satraps,  and  the  gov- 
ernors, and  they  that  did  the  king's  business,  helped  the 
Jews ;  because  the  fear  of  Mordecai  was  fallen  upon  them. 
And  the  Jews  that  were  in  Shushan  gathered  themselves 
together  on  the  fourteenth  day  also  of  the  month  Adar,  and 
slew  three  hundred  men  in  Shushan  ;  but  on  the  spoil  they 
laid  not  their  hand.  And  the  other  Jews  that  were  in  the 
king's  provinces  gathered  themselves  together,  and  stood 
for  their  lives,  and  had  rest  from  their  enemies,  and  slew 
of  them  that  hated  them  seventy  and  five  thousand ;  but 
on  the  spoil  they  laid  not  their  hand. 

This  was  done  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  month  Adar  ; 
and  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  same  they  rested,  and 
made  it  a  day  of  feasting  and  gladness.  But  the  Jews  that 
were  in  Shushan  assembled  together  on  the  thirteenth  day 
thereof,  and  on  the  fourteenth  thereof;  and  on  the  fifteenth 
day  of  the  same  they  rested,  and  made  it  a  day  of  feasting 
and  gladness.  Therefore  do  the  Jews  of  the  villages,  that 
dwell  in  the  unwalled  towns,  make  the  fourteenth  day  of 
the  month  Adar  a  day  of  gladness  and  feasting,  and  a  good 
day,  and  of  sending  portions  one  to  another. 


Nehamiah  ^  Bible    Stories 

iii 

Stories  of  the  Return 

How  Neheiniah  rebuilt  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem 

Now  it  came  to  pass  in  the  month  of  Chislev.  in  the  twen- 
tieth year,  as  I  was  in  Shushan  the  palace,  that  Hanani,  one 
of  my  brethren,  came,  he  and  certain  men  out  of  Judah  ^ 
and  I  asked  them  concerning  the  Jews  that  had  escaped, 
which  were  left  of  the  captivity,  and  concerning  Jerusalem. 
And  they  said  unto  me.  The  remnant  that  are  left  of  the 
captivity  there  in  the  province  are  in  great  affliction  and 
reproach  :  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  also  is  broken  down,  and 
the  gates  thereof  are  burned  with  fire.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  I  heard  these  words,  that  I  sat  down  and  wept, 
and  mourned  certain  days  ;  and  I  fasted  and  prayed  before 
the  God  of  heaven,  and  said,  I  beseech  thee,  O  Lord,  the 
God  of  heaven,  the  great  and  terrible  God,  that  keepeth 
covenant  and  mercy  with  them  that  love  him  and  keep  his 
commandments  :  let  thine  ear  now  be  attentive,  and  thine 
eyes  open,  that  thou  mayest  hearken  unto  the  prayer  of 
thy  servant,  which  I  pray  before  thee  at  this  time,  day  and 
night,  for  the  children  of  Israel  thy  servants,  while  I  con- 
fess the  sins  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  we  have  sinned 
290 


Exile    and     Return  3<^  Nehemiah 

against  thee:  yea,  I  and  my  father's  house  have  sinned. 
We  have  dealt  very  corruptly  against  thee,  and  have  not 
kept  the  commandments,  nor  the  statutes,  nor  the  judge- 
ments, which  thou  commandedst  thy  servant  Moses. 
Remember,  I  beseech  thee,  the  word  that  thou  command- 
edst thy  servant  Moses,  saying :  '  If  ye  trespass,  I  will 
scatter  you  abroad  among  the  peoples :  but  if  ye  return 
unto  me,  and  keep  my  commandments  and  do  them,  though 
your  outcasts  were  in  the  uttermost  part  of  the  heaven,  yet 
will  I  gather  them  from  thence,  and  will  bring  them  unto 
the  place  that  I  have  chosen  to  cause  my  name  to  dwell 
there.'  Now  these  are  thy  servants  and  thy  people,  whom 
thou  hast  redeemed  by  thy  great  power,  and  by  thy  strong 
hand.  O  Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  let  now  thine  ear  be  atten- 
tive to  the  prayer  of  thy  servant,  and  to  the  prayer  of  thy 
servants,  who  delight  to  fear  thy  name :  and  prosper,  I 
pray  thee,  thy  servant  this  day,  and  grant  him  mercy  in 
the  sight  of  this  man.  (Now  I  was  cupbearer  to  the  king.) 
And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  month  Nisan,  in  the  twenti- 
eth year  of  Artaxerxes  the  king,  when  wine  was  before 
him,  that  I  took  up  the  wine,  and  gave  it  unto  the  king. 
Now  I  had  not  been  beforetime  sad  in  his  presence.  And 
the  king  said  unto  me,  Why  is  thy  countenance  sad,  seeing 
thou  art  not  sick?  this  is  nothing  else  but  sorrow  of  heart. 
Then  I  was  very  sore  afraid.  And  I  said  unto  the  king, 
Let  the  king  live  for  ever :  why  should  not  my  countenance 
be  sad,  when  the  city,  the  place  of  my  fathers'  sepulchres, 
291 


Nehemiah  ^  Bible    Stories 

lieth  waste,  and  the  gates  thereof  are  consumed  with  fire? 
Then  the  king  said  unto  me,  For  what  dost  thou  make 
request?  So  I  prayed  to  the  God  of  heaven.  And  I  said 
unto  the  king,  If  it  please  the  king,  and  if  thy  servant  have 
found  favour  in  thy  sight,  that  thou  wouldest  send  me  unto 
Judah,  unto  the  city  of  my  fathers'  sepulchres,  that  I  may 
build  it.  And  the  king  said  unto  me,  (the  queen  also  sit- 
ting by  him,)  For  how  long  shall  thy  journey  be?  and  \vhen 
wilt  thou  return?  So  it  pleased  the  king  to  send  me  ;  and 
I  set  him  a  time.  Moreover  I  said  unto  the  king.  If  it 
please  the  king,  let  letters  be  given  me  to  the  governors 
beyond  the  river,  that  they  may  let  me  pass  through  till 
I  come  unto  Judah ;  and  a  letter  unto  Asaph  the  keeper 
of  the  king's  forest,  that  he  may  give  me  timber  to  make 
beams  for  the  gates  of  the  castle  which  appertaineth  to  the 
house,  and  for  the  wall  of  the  city,  and  for  the  house  that 
I  shall  enter  into.  And  the  king  granted  me,  according  to 
the  good  hand  of  my  God  upon  me. 

Then  I  came  to  the  governors  beyond  the  river,  and 
gave  them  the  king's  letters.  Now  the  king  had  sent 
with  me  captains  of  the  army  and  horsemen.  And  when 
Sanballat  the  Horonite,  and  Tobiah  the  servant,  the 
Ammonite,  heard  of  it,  it  grieved  them  exceedingly,  for 
that  there  was  come  a  man  to  seek  the  welfare  of  the 
children  of  Israel.  So  1  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  was 
there  three  days.  And  I  arose  in  the  night,  I  and  some 
few  men  with  me ;  neither  told  I  any  man  what  my  God 
292 


Exile    and    Return  6«^  Nehemiah 

put  into  my  heart  to  do  for  Jerusalem :  neither  was  there 
any  beast  with  me,  save  the  beast  that  I  rode  upon.  And 
I  went  out  by  night  by  the  valley  gate,  even  toward  the 
dragons  well,  and  to  the  dung  gate,  and  viewed  the  walls 
of  Jerusalem,  which  were  broken  down,  and  the  gates 
thereof  were  consumed  with  fire.  Then  I  went  on  to  the 
fountain  gate  and  to  the  king's  pool :  but  there  was  no 
place  for  the  beast  that  was  under  me  to  pass.  Then 
went  I  up  in  the  night  by  the  brook,  and  viewed  the  wall ; 
and  I  turned  back,  and  entered  by  the  valley  gate,  and  so 
returned.  And  the  rulers  knew  not  whither  I  went,  or  what 
I  did ;  neither  had  I  as  yet  told  it  to  the  Jews,  nor  to  the 
priests,  nor  to  the  nobles,  nor  to  the  rulers,  nor  to  the  rest 
that  did  the  work.  Then  said  I  unto  them.  Ye  see  the 
evil  case  that  we  are  in,  how  Jerusalem  lieth  waste,  and 
the  gates  thereof  are  burned  with  fire :  come  and  let  us 
build  up  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  that  we  be  no  more  a 
reproach.  And  I  told  them  of  the  hand  of  my  God  which 
was  good  upon  me ;  as  also  of  the  king's  words  that  he 
had  spoken  unto  me.  And  they  said.  Let  us  rise  up  and 
build.  So  they  strengthened  their  hands  for  the  good 
work. 

But  it  came  to  pass  that,  when  Sanballat  heard  that  we 
builded  the  wall,  he  was  wroth,  and  took  great  indigna- 
tion, and  mocked  the  Jews.  And  he  spake  before  his 
brethren  and  the  army  of  Samaria,  and  said.  What  do 
these  feeble  Jews  ?  will  they  fortify  themselves  ?  will  they 
293 


Nehemiah  ^   Bible    Stories 

sacrifice  ?  will  they  make  an  end  in  a  day  ?  will  they  re- 
vive the  stones  out  of  the  heaps  of  rubbish,  seeing  they 
are  burned  ?  Now  Tobiah  the  Ammonite  was  by  him, 
and  he  said,  Even  that  which  they  build,  if  a  fox  go  up, 
he  shall  break  down  their  stone  wall.  (Hear,  O  our  God ; 
for  we  are  despised :  and  turn  back  their  reproach  upon 
their  own  head,  and  give  them  up  to  spoiling  in  a  land  of 
captivity :  and  cover  not  their  iniquity,  and  let  not  their 
sin  be  blotted  out  from  before  thee :  for  they  have  pro- 
voked thee  to  anger  before  the  builders.)  So  we  built 
the  wall ;  and  all  the  wall  was  joined  together  unto  half 
the  height  thereof:  for  the  people  had  a  mind  to  work. 

But  it  came  to  pass  that,  when  Sanballat,  and  Tobiah, 
and  the  Arabians,  and  the  Ammonites,  and  the  Ashdo- 
dites,  heard  that  the  repairing  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem 
went  forward,  and  that  the  breaches  began  to  be  stopped, 
then  they  were  very  wroth  ;  and  they  conspired  all  of  them 
together  to  come  and  fight  against  Jerusalem,  and  to 
cause  confusion  therein.  But  we  made  our  prayer  unto 
our  God,  and  set  a  watch  against  them  day  and  night, 
because  of  them.  And  Judah  said,  The  strength  of  the 
bearers  of  burdens  is  decayed,  and  there  is  much  rubbish : 
so  that  we  are  not  able  to  build  the  wall.  And  our  adver- 
saries said.  They  shall  not  know,  neither  see,  till  we  come 
into  the  midst  of  them,  and  slay  them,  and  cause  the 
work  to  cease.  And  it  came  to  pass  that,  when  the  Jews 
which  dwelt  by  them  came,  they  said  unto  us  ten  times 
294 


Exile     and     Return  6«^  Nehemiah 

from  all  places,  Ye  must  return  unto  us.  Therefore  set  I 
in  the  lowest  parts  of  the  space  behind  the  wall,  in  the 
open  places,  I  even  set  the  people  after  their  families  with 
their  swords,  their  spears,  and  their  bows.  And  I  looked, 
and  rose  up,  and  said  unto  the  nobles,  and  to  the  rulers, 
and  to  the  rest  of  the  people.  Be  not  ye  afraid  of  them : 
remember  the  Lord,  which  is  great  and  terrible,  and  fight 
for  your  brethren,  your  sons  and  your  daughters,  your 
wives  and  your  houses.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  our 
enemies  heard  that  it  was  known  unto  us,  and  God  had 
brought  their  counsel  to  nought,  that  we  returned  all  of 
us  to  the  wall,  every  one  unto  his  work.  And  it  came  to 
pass  from  that  time  forth,  that  half  of  my  servants  wrought 
in  the  work,  and  half  of  them  held  the  spears,  the  shields, 
and  the  bows,  and  the  coats  of  mail ;  and  the  rulers  were 
behind  all  the  house  of  Judah.  They  that  builded  the 
wall  and  they  that  bare  burdens  laded  themselves,  every 
one  with  one  of  his  hands  wrought  in  the  work,  and  with 
the  other  held  his  weapon ;  and  the  builders,  every  one 
had  his  sword  girded  by  his  side,  and  so  builded.  Arid 
he  that  sounded  the  trumpet  was  by  me.  And  I  said  unto 
the  nobles,  and  to  the  rulers  and  to  the  rest  of  the  people. 
The  work  is  great  and  large,  and  we  are  separated  upon 
the  wall,  one  far  from  another :  in  what  place  soever  ye 
hear  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  resort  ye  thither  unto  us ; 
our  God  shall  fight  for  us.  So  we  wrought  in  the  work  : 
and  half  of  them  held  the  spears  from  the  rising  of  the 
29s 


N 


^^^-^^^^  -^  Bible    Stories 

morning  till  the  stars  appeared.  Likewise  at  the  same 
time  said  I  unto  the  people,  Let  every  one  with  his  servant 
lodge  within  Jerusalem,  that  in  the  night  they  may  be  a 
guard  to  us,  and  may  labour  in  the  day.  So  neither  I, 
nor  my  brethren,  nor  my  servants,  nor  the  men  of  the 
guard  which  followed  me,  none  of  us  put  off  our  clothes, 
every  one  went  with  his  weapon  to  the  water. 

Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  it  was  reported  to  Sanballat 
and  Tobiah,  and  to  Geshem  the  Arabian,  and  unto  the 
rest  of  our  enemies,  that  I  had  builded  the  wall,  and  that 
there  was  no  breach  left  therein ;  (though  even  unto  that 
time  I  had  not  set  up  the  doors  in  the  gates ;)  that  San- 
ballat and  Geshem  sent  unto   me,  saying,  Come,  let  us 
meet  together  in  one  of  the  villages  in  the  plain  of  Ono. 
But  they  thought  to  do  me  mischief.     And  I  sent  mes- 
sengers unto  them,  saying,  I  am  doing  a  great  work,  so 
that  I  cannot  come  down :    why  should  the  work  cease, 
whilst  I  leave  it,  and  come  down  to  you  ?    And  they  sent 
unto  me  four  times  after  this  sort;  and  I  answered  them 
after  the  same  manner.     Then  sent  Sanballat  his  servant 
unto  me  in  like  manner  the  fifth  time  with  an  open  letter 
in  his  hand ;  wherein  was  written,  It  is  reported  among 
the  nations,  and  Gashmu  saith  it,  that  thou  and  the  Jews 
think  to  rebel;  for  which  cause  thou  buildest  the   wall  : 
and  thou  wouldest  be  their  king,  according  to  these  words. 
And  thou  hast  also  appointed  prophets  to  preach  of  thee 
at  Jerusalem,  saying,  There  is  a  king  in  Judah :  and  now 
296 


Exile    and     Return  d^  Nehemiah 

shall  it  be  reported  to  the  king  according  to  these  words. 
Come  now  therefore,  and  let  us  take  counsel  together. 
Then  I  sent  unto  him,  saying,  There  are  no  such  things 
done  as  thou  sayest,  but  thou  feignest  them  out  of  thine 
own  heart.  For  they  all  would  have  made  us  afraid,  say- 
ing. Their  hands  shall  be  weakened  from  the  work,  that 
it  be  not  done.  But  now,  O  God,  strengthen  thou  my 
hands. 

And  I  went  unto  the  house  of  Shemaiah  who  was  shut 
up ;  and  he  said.  Let  us  meet  together  in  the  house  of 
God,  within  the  temple,  and  let  us  shut  the  doors  of  the 
temple  :  for  they  will  come  to  slay  thee ;  yea,  in  the  night 
will  they  come  to  slay  thee.  And  I  said.  Should  such  a 
man  as  I  flee?  and  who  is  there,  that,  being  such  as  I, 
would  go  into  the  temple  to  save  his  life  ?  I  will  not  go  in. 
And  I  discerned,  and,  lo,  God  had  not  sent  him :  but  he 
pronounced  this  prophecy  against  me :  and  Tobiah  and 
Sanballat  had  hired  him.  For  this  cause  was  he  hired,  that 
I  should  be  afraid,  and  do  so,  and  sin,  and  that  they  might 
have  matter  for  an  evil  report,  that  they  might  reproach 
me.  Remember,  O  my  God,  Tobiah  and  Sanballat  ac- 
cording to^hese  their  works,  and  also  the  prophetess 
Noadiah,  and  the  rest  of  the  prophets,  that  would  have 
put  me  in  fear. 

So  the  wall  was  finished  in  the  twenty  and  fifth  day  of 
the  month  Elul,  in  fifty  and  two  days.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  all  our  enemies  heard  thereof,  that  all  the 
297 


( 


Neheniiah  ^  Bible    Stories 


down  in  their  own  eyes :  for  they  perceived  that  this  work 
v/as  wrought  of  our  God. 

And  at  the  dedication  of  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  they 
sought  the  Levites  out  of  all  their  places,  to  bring  them 
to  Jemsalem,  to  keep  the  dedication  with  gladness,  both 
with  thanksgivings,  and  with  singing,  with  cymbals,  psal- 
teries, and  with  harps.  And  the  sons  of  the  singers  gath- 
ered themselves  together,  both  out  of  the  plain  round 
about  Jerusalem,  and  from  the  villages.  Then  I  brought 
up  the  princes  of  Judah  upon  the  wail,  and  appointed 
two  great  companies  that  gave  thanks  and  went  in  pro- 
cession. Whereof  one  w^ent  on  the  right  hand  upon  the 
wall  toward  the  dung  gate  :  (and  Ezra  the  scribe  was  be- 
fore them  :)  and  by  the  fountain  gate,  and  straight  before 
them,  they  went  up  by  the  stairs  of  the  city  of  David,  at  the 
going  up  of  the  wall,  above  the  house  of  David,  even  unto 
the  water  gate  eastward.  And  the  other  company  of  them 
that  gave  thanks  went  to  meet  them,  and  I  after  them,  with 
the  half  of  the  people,  upon  the  wall,  above  the  tower  of 
the  furnaces,  even  unto  the  broad  wall ;  and  above  the  gate 
of  Ephraim,  and  by  the  old  gate,  and  by  the  fish  gate,  and 
the  tower  of  Hananel,  and  the  tower  of  Hammeah,  even 
unto  the  sheep  gate :  and  they  stood  still  in  the  gate  of 
the  guard.  So  stood  the  two  companies  of  them  that 
gave  thanks  in  the  house  of  God.  and  I,  and  the  half  of 
the  rulers  with  me.  And  the  singers  sang  loud,  with 
298 


Exile    and    Return  8^  Ezra 

Jezrahiah  their  overseer.  And  they  offered  great  sacri- 
fices that  day,  and  rejoiced;  for  God  had  made  them 
rejoice  with  great  joy;  and  the  women  also  and  the 
children  rejoiced :  so  that  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  was  heard 
even  afar  off. 


The  Renewal  of  the  Covenant  tender  Ezra 

And  when  the  seventh  month  was  come,  the  children 
of  Israel  were  in  their  cities.  And  all  the  people  gathered 
themselves  together  as  one  man  into  the  broad  place  that 
was  before  the  water  gate ;  and  they  spake  unto  Ezra  the 
scribe  to  bring  the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses,  which  the 
Lord  had  commanded  to  Israel.  And  Ezra  the  priest 
brought  the  law  before  the  congregation,  both  men  and 
women,  and  all  that  could  hear  with  understanding,  upon 
the  first  day  of  the  seventh  month.  And  he  read  therein 
before  the  broad  place  that  was  before  the  water  gate  from 
early  morning  until  midday,  in  the  presence  of  the  men 
and  the  women,  and  of  those  that  could  understand ;  and 
the  ears  of  all  the  people  were  attentive  unto  the  book  of 
the  law.  And  Ezra  the  scribe  stood  upon  a  pulpit  of 
wood,  which  they  had  made  for  the  purpose.  And  Ezra 
opened  the  book  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people;  (for  he 
was  above  all  the  people ;)  and  when  he  opened  it,  all  the 
people  stood  up :  and  Ezra  blessed  the  Lord,  the  great 
God.  And  all  the  people  answered.  Amen,  Amen,  with 
299 


{ 


Ezra  ^  Bible    Stories 

the  lifting  up  of  their  hands  :  and  they  bowed  their  heads, 
and  worshipped  the  Lord  with  their  faces  to  the  ground. 
Also  the  Levites  caused  the  people  to  understand  the  law : 
and  the  people  stood  in  their  place.  And  they  read  in 
the  book,  in  the  law  of  God,  distinctly ;  and  they  gave  the 
sense,  so  that  they  understood  the  reading.  And  Nehe- 
miah,  which  was  the  Tirshatha,  and  Ezra  the  priest  the 
scribe,  and  the  Levites  that  taught  the  people,  said  unto 
all  the  people,  This  day  is  holy  unto  the  Lord  your  God; 
mourn  not,  nor  weep.  For  all  the  people  wept,  when  they 
heard  the  words  of  the  law.  Then  he  said  unto  them, 
Go  your  way,  eat  the  fat,  and  drink  the  sweet,  and  send 
portions  unto  him  for  whom  nothing  is  prepared :  for  this 
day  is  holy  unto  our  Lord  :  neither  be  ye  grieved ;  for 
the  joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength.  So  the  Levites 
stilled  all  the  people,  saying,  Hold  your  peace,  for  the  day 
is  holy ;  neither  be  ye  grieved.  And  all  the  people  went 
their  way  to  eat,  and  to  drink,  and  to  send  portions,  and 
to  make  great  mirth,  because  they  had  understood  the 
words  that  were  declared  unto  them. 

Now  in  the  twenty  and  fourth  day  of  this  month  the 
children  of  Israel  were  assembled  with  fasting,  and  with 
sackcloth,  and  earth  upon  them.  And  the  seed  of  Israel 
separated  themselves  from  all  strangers,  and  stood  and 
confessed  their  sins,  and  the  iniquities  of  their  fathers. 
And  they  stood  up  in  their  place,  and  read  in  the  book  of 
the  law  of  the  Lord  their  God  a  fourth  part  of  the  day ; 
300 


Exile    and    Return  B^ 

Ezra 

and   another  fourth  part  they  confessed,  and  worshipped 
the  Lord  their  God.     Then  the  Levites  said : 

"Stand   up  and  bless  the  Lord  your  God  from  ever- 
lasting to  everlasting:  and  blessed  be  thy  glorious  name, 
which   IS   exalted  above  all  blessing  and  praise.     Thou 
art  the  Lord,  even  thou  alone;  thou  hast  made  heaven, 
the  heaven  of  heavens,  with  all  their  host,  the  earth  and 
all   things  that  are  thereon,  the  seas  and  all  that  is  in 
them,  and   thou  preservest   them  all ;    and   the  host  of 
heaven  worshippeth  thee.     Thou  art  the  Lord  the  God 
who  didst  choose  Abram,  and  broughtest  him  forth  out 
of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,   and  gavest   him   the   name   of 
Abraham;  and  foundest  his  heart  faithful  before  thee  and 
madest   a  covenant   with   him   to  give  the   land   of  the 
Canaanite,  the  Hittite,  the  Amorite,  and  the  Perizzite,  and 
the  Jebusite,  and  the  Girgashite,  even  to  give  it  unto  his 
seed,  and  hast  performed  thy  words;  for  thou  art  ric^ht- 
eous      And  thou  sawest   the  affliction  of  our  father?  in 
Egypt,  and  heardest  their  cry  by  the  Red  Sea;  and  shew- 
edst  signs   and  wonders  upon  Pharaoh,  and  on  all  his 
servants,  and   on  all   the  people  of  his  land;   for  thou 
knewest  that  they  dealt  proudly  against  them;  and  didst 
get  thee  a  name,  as  it  is  this  day.     And  thou  didst  divide 
the  sea  before  them,  so  that  they  went  through  the  midst 
of   he  sea  on  the  dry  land ;  and  their  pursuers  thou  didst 
cast  into  the  depths,  as  a  stone  into  the  mighty  waters. 
Moreover  thou  leddest  them  in  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day; 
301 


Ezra  -*^  Bible    Stories 

and  in  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  to  give  them  light  in  the 
way  wherein  they  should  go.  Thou  earnest  down  also  upon 
mount  Sinai,  and  spakest  with  them  from  heaven,  and 
gavest  them  right  judgements  and  true  laws,  good  statutes 
and  commandments :  and  madest  known  unto  them  thy 
holy  sabbath,  and  commandedst  them  commandments,  and 
statutes,  and  a  law,  by  the  hand  of  Moses  thy  servant ; 
and  gavest  them  bread  from  heaven  for  their  hunger,  and 
broughtest  forth  water  for  them  out  of  the  rock  for  their 
thirst,  and  commandedst  them  that  they  should  go  in  to 
possess  the  land  which  thou  hadst  lifted  up  thine  hand  to 
give  them.  But  they  and  our  fathers  dealt  proudly,  and 
hardened  their  neck,  and  hearkened  not  to  thy  command- 
ments, and  refused  to  obey,  neither  were  mindful  of  thy 
wonders  that  thou  didst  among  them  ;  but  hardened  their 
neck,  and  in  their  rebellion  appointed  a  captain  to  return 
to  their  bondage :  but  thou  art  a  God  ready  to  pardon, 
gracious  and  full  of  compassion,  slow  to  anger,  and  plen- 
teous in  mercy,  and  forsookest  them  not.  Yea,  when  they 
had  made  them  a  molten  calf,  and  said,  This  is  thy  God 
that  brought  thee  up  out  of  Egypt,  and  had  wrought  great 
provocations  ;  yet  thou  in  thy  manifold  mercies  forsookest 
them  not  in  the  wilderness :  the  pillar  of  cloud  departed 
not  from  over  them  by  day,  to  lead  them  in  the  way; 
neither  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  to  shew  them  light,  and 
the  way  wherein  they  should  go.  Thou  gavest  also  thy 
good  spirit  to  instruct  them,  and  withheldest  not  thy 
302 


Exile    and    Return  ^  Ezra 

manna  from  their  mouth,  and  gavest  them  water  for  their 
thirst.  Yea,  forty  years  didst  thou  sustain  them  in  the 
wilderness,  and  they  lacked  nothing ;  their  clothes  waxed 
not  old,  and  their  feet  swelled  not.  Moreover  thou  gavest 
them  kingdoms  and  peoples,  which  thou  didst  allot  after 
their  portions  :  so  they  possessed  the  land  of  Sihon,  even 
the  land  of  the  king  of  Heshbon,  and  the  land  of  Og  king 
of  Bashan.  Their  children  also  multipliedst  thou  as  the 
stars  of  heaven,  and  broughtest  them  into  the  land,  con- 
cerning which  thou  didst  say  to  their  fathers,  that  they 
should  go  in  to  possess  it.  So  the  children  went  in  and 
possessed  the  land,  and  thou  subduedst  before  them  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land,  the  Canaanites,  and  gavest  them 
into  their  hands,  with  their  kings,  and  the  peoples  of  the 
land,  that  they  might  do  with  them  as  they  would.  And 
they  took  fenced  cities,  and  a  fat  land,  and  possessed 
houses  full  of  all  good  things,  cisterns  hewn  out,  vineyards, 
and  oliveyards,  and  fruit  trees  in  abundance :  so  they  did 
eat,  and  were  filled,  and  became  fat,  and  delighted  them- 
selves in  thy  great  goodness.  Nevertheless  they  were 
disobedient,  and  rebelled  against  thee,  and  cast  thy  law 
behind  their  back,  and  slew  thy  prophets  which  testified 
against  them  to  turn  them  again  unto  thee,  and  they 
wrought  great  provocations.  Therefore  thou  deliveredst 
them  into  the  hand  of  their  adversaries,  who  distressed 
them :  and  in  the  time  of  their  trouble,  when  they  cried 
unto  thee,  thou  heardest  from  heaven ;  and  according  to 
303 


Ezra  -5g  Bible    Stories 

thy  manifold  mercies  thou  gavest  them  saviours  who  saved 
them  out  of  the  hand  of  their  adversaries.  But  after  they 
had  rest,  they  did  evil  again  before  thee  :  therefore  leftest 
thou  them  in  the  hand  of  their  enemies,  so  that  they  had 
the  dominion  over  them  :  yet  when  they  returned,  and 
cried  unto  thee,  thou  heardest  from  heaven ;  and  many 
times  didst  thou  deliver  them  according  to  thy  mercies; 
and  testifiedst  against  them,  that  thou  mightest  bring 
them  again  unto  thy  law :  yet  they  dealt  proudly,  and 
hearkened  not  unto  thy  commandments,  but  sinned  against 
thy  judgements,  (which  if  a  man  do,  he  shall  live  in  them,) 
and  withdrew  the  shoulder,  and  hardened  their  neck,  and 
would  not  hear.  Yet  many  years  didst  thou  bear  with 
them,  and  testifiedst  against  them  by  thy  spirit  through 
thy  prophets :  yet  would  they  not  give  ear :  therefore 
gavest  thou  them  into  the  hand  of  the  peoples  of  the 
lands.  Nevertheless  in  thy  manifold  mercies  thou  didst 
not  make  a  full  end  of  them,  nor  forsake  them ;  for  thou 
art  a  gracious  and  merciful  God. 

"  Now  therefore,  our  God,  the  great,  the  mighty,  and 
the  terrible  God,  who  keepest  covenant  and  mercy,  let 
not  all  the  travail  seem  little  before  thee,  that  hath  come 
upon  us,  on  our  kings,  on  our  princes,  and  on  our  priests, 
and  on  our  prophets,  and  on  our  fathers,  and  on  all  thy 
people,  since  the  time  of  the  kings  of  Assyria  unto  this 
day.  Howbeit  thou  art  just  in  all  that  is  come  upon  us ; 
for  thou  hast  dealt  truly,  but  we  have  done  wickedly: 
304 


Exile    and    Return  S«-  Ezra 

neither  have  our  kings,  our  princes,  our  priests,  nor  our 
fathers,  kept  thy  law,  nor  hearkened  unto  thy  command- 
ments and  thy  testimonies,  wherewith  thou  didst  testify 
against  them.  For  they  have  not  served  thee  in  their 
kingdom,  and  in  thy  great  goodness  that  thou  gavest 
them,  and  in  the  large  and  fat  land  which  thou  gavest 
before  them,  neither  turned  they  from  their  wicked  works. 
Behold,  we  are  servants  this  day,  and  as  for  the  land  that 
thou  gavest  unto  our  fathers  to  eat  the  fruit  thereof  and 
the  good  thereof,  behold,  we  are  servants  in  it.  And  it 
yieldeth  much  increase  unto  the  kings  whom  thou  hast 
set  over  us  because  of  our  sins  :  also  they  have  power  over 
our  bodies,  and  over  our  cattle,  at  their  pleasure,  and  we 
are  in  great  distress.  And  yet  for  all  this  we  make  a  sure 
covenant,  and  write  it ;  and  our  princes,  our  Levites,  and 
our  priests,  seal  unto  it." 

And  the  people,  the  priests,  the  Levites,  the  porters,  the 
singers,  the  Nethinim,  and  all  they  that  had  separated  them- 
selves from  the  peoples  of  the  lands  unto  the  law  of  God, 
their  wives,  their  sons,  and  their  daughters,  every  one  that 
had  knowledge  and  understanding;  they  clave  to  their 
brethren,  their  nobles,  and  entered  into  a  curse,  and  into 
an  oath,  "  to  walk  in  God's  law,  which  was  given  by  Moses 
the  servant  of  God,  and  to  observe  and  do  all  the  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  our  Lord,  and  his  judgements  and 
his  statutes ;  and  that  we  would  not  give  our  daughters 
unto  the  peoples  of  the  land,  nor  take  their  daughters  for 
305 


Ezra  -^  Bible    Stories 

our  sons  :  and  if  the  peoples  of  the  land  bring  ware  or  any 
victuals  on  the  sabbath  day  to  sell,  that  we  would  not  buy 
of  them  on  the  sabbath,  or  on  a  holy  day :  and  that  we 
would  forgo  the  seventh  year,  and  the  exaction  of  every 
debt," 

306 


Exile    and    Return  3«-  Notes 


Notes  to  the  Exile  and  Return 

Page  259.  Threescore  cubits  :  the  cubit  was  the  length  of  the 
average  man's  arm,  from  elbow  to  wrist. 

Page  263.  '  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  king,  unto  all  the  peoples,  etc' 
It  will  be  seen  that  this  story  is  told  in  the  form  of  the  actual 
proclamation  made  by  Nebuchadnezzar  concerning  the  wonder- 
ful thing  that  happened  to  him. 

Page  263.  Magicians^  enchatiters,  Chaldeans,  soothsayers,  all 
mean  much  the  same  thing.  Sooth  is  an  old  word  for  truth-, 
soothsayers  professed  to  read  the  truth  of  coming  events  in  the 
stars,  or  in  dreams,  or  by  other  means.  The  Chaldean  nation 
(of  which  Babylon  was  the  capital)  was  so  far  ahead  of  other 
peoples  in  this  power  of  interpreting  secrets  that  the  word  Chal- 
deans was  used  as  meaning  soothsayers. 

Page  264.  Behold,  a  watcher  and  an  holy  one  came  dow7i 
from  heaven  :  these  are  names  for  angels.  Watcher  survives 
in  the  modern  term  Guardian  Angel. 

Page  266.  A7id  seven  times  shall  pass  over  thee  :  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  dream  does  not  tell  everything:  it  might  be 
seven  days,  or  seven  months,  or  seven  years,  or  seven  of  any 
other  period. 

Page  270.  Shall  rule  as  one  of  three  :  shall  be  made  a  mem- 
ber of  a  council  of  three,  to  rule  the  state  under  the  king. 

Page  271.  One  reason  why  the  other  wise  men  could  not 
make  out  the  writing  on  the  wall  was  that  they  tried  to  read  it 

307 


Notes  ^  Bible    Stories 

in  the  usual  way,  across ;  and  they  could  make  no  words  of  the 
letters.  Daniel  sees  that  it  must  be  read  down,  up,  down, — 
an  old  form  of  writing,  called  (in  Greek)  boustrophedon,  that  is, 
the  way  an  ox  draws  a  plough,  turning  at  the  end  of  the  furrow 
and  going  back.  As  soon  as  Daniel  suggests  this,  all  can  read 
the  words  Mem,  mene,  tekel,  upharsin.  Mene  means  number; 
tekel  weight;  peres  division.  But  only  Daniel  sees  what  the 
words  mean  when  put  together. 

Page  278.  Mordecai  sat  in  the  king's  gate  :  in  eastern  life  the 
gate  of  a  city  or  palace  is  like  a  modern  city  hall;  persons  linger 
about  it  to  have  their  affairs  taken  up  by  kings  or  magistrates. 
Even  now  the  Turkish  court  is  called  the  Sublime  Porte  (gate). 

Page  278.  Hainan  the  Agagite :  this  is  another  word  for 
Amalekite.  Haman  thus  belonged  to  a  nation  that  was  always 
the  foe  of  Israel  (compare  Story  ix  in  The  Judges'). 

Page  282.  Let  the  king  and  Haman  come  .  .  .  unto  the  ban- 
quet -which  I  have  prepared.  Esther  has  to  contend  against  the 
power  of  the  court  favourite,  Haman,  and  has  nothing  on  her 
side  except  her  wonderful  beauty.  Thus  her  motive  in  inviting 
to  these  banquets  is  to  get  time  for  her  beauty  to  be  more  and 
more  felt  by  the  king,  before  she  reveals  her  purpose  against 
Haman. 

Page  285.  But  if  we  had  been  sold  for  bondmen  and  bond- 
women, etc.  Esther  knows  human  nature  too  well  to  trust 
merely  to  the  king's  compassion.  She  hints  in  these  words 
at  something  which  was  too  often  forgotten  in  old  times  —  how 
that  the  loss  of  subjects'  lives  (for  example,  in  war)  is  so  much 
loss  to  the  wealth  of  the  kingdom,  and  therefore  loss  to  the 

308 


Exile    and    Return  8«^  Notes 

sovereign.  Had  the  Jewish  nation  been  sold  into  slavery  (she 
says),  there  would  have  been  a  price  to  set  against  the  loss  of 
subjects,  but  when  they  are  slain  there  is  not  even  this.  Although 
the  adversary  could  not  have  compensated  for  the  king's  damage  : 
an  allusion  to  Haman's  offer  of  ten  thousand  talents  (above, 
p.  279),  which  had  been  made  known  to  her  by  Mordecai.  In 
the  light  of  this  new  idea  —  that  the  death  of  subjects  is  loss 
to  the  king  —  what  had  before  seemed  a  magnificent  bribe  of 
Haman  now  appears  a  paltry  sum  to  set  against  a  whole  nation 
of  subjects.  / 

Page  292.  Sanballat  the  Heronite,  Tobiah  the  servant,  the 
Ammonite :  these  were  officials,  representing  the  Babylonian 
or  Persian  government  in  the  conquered  country  of  Judea.  The 
persons  appointed  to  these  offices  would  be  chosen  by  the  con- 
querors from  the  nations  who  had  been  neighbours  and  enemies 
of  the  Jews;  hence  their  hostility  to  Nehemiah's  project  of 
rebuilding  Jerusalem. 

Page  294.  And  Judah  said :  that  is,  the  very  Jews  who 
were  working  with  Nehemiah  became  discouraged.  —  The  Jezvs 
which  dwelt  by  them  .  .  .  said  ,  .  ,  Ye  must  return  unto  us. 
Many  companies  of  Jewish  exiles  had  been  allowed  to  return  to 
the  land  of  Judea;  but  Nehemiah  was  the  first  to  attempt  the 
restoration  of  Jerusalem  as  a  fortress.  The  timid  Jewish  exiles 
here  want  Nehemiah  to  give  up  his  plan,  and  live  in  the  coun- 
try like  themselves. 

Page  300.  Nehemiah  .  .  .  the  Tirshatha  :  this  is  a  Persian 
word :  he  had  been  appointed  governor  of  Jerusalem  under  the 
Persian  king.  —  Ezra,  the  scribe:   the  word   scribe   has   great 

309 


Notes  ^  Bible    Stories 

importance  at  this  period  of  history.  It  does  not  merely  mean 
(as  in  modern  English)  a  writer,  but  a  teacher  of  the  written 
law. 

Page  305.      The  Nethinim  (a  plural  word)  :  some  division  of 
sacred  officials,  the  meaning  of  which  is  not  clearly  known. 
310 


Small  i8mo.    Cloth  extra,  50  cents  each ;  Leather,  60  cents. 


The  Modern  Reader's  Bible. 

A  Series  of  Books  from  the  Sacred  Scriptures, 
presented  in  Modem  Literary  Form, 

BY 

RICHARD    G.    MOULTON. 

M.A.  (Camb.),  Ph.D.  (Penn.), 
Professor  of  Literature  in  English  in  the  University  of  Chicago, 


PRESS   COMMENTS. 


"  The  effect  of  these  changes  back  to  the  original  forms  under 
which  the  sacred  writings  first  appeared  will  be,  for  the  vast  ma- 
jority of  readers,  a  surprise  and  delight ;  they  will 
The  Outlook,  feel  as  if  they  had  come  upon  new  spiritual  and 

New  York.  intellectual  treasures,  and  they  will  appreciate  for 

the  first  time  how  much  the  Bible  has  suffered 
from  the  hands  of  those  who  have  treated  it  without  reference  to  its 
literary  quality.  In  view  of  the  significance  and  possible  results  of 
Professor  Moulton's  undertaking,  it  is  not  too  much  to  pronounce 
it  one  of  the  most  important  spiritual  and  literary  events  of  the 
times.  It  is  part  of  the  renaissance  of  Biblical  study ;  but  it  may 
mean,  and  in  our  judgment  it  does  mean,  the  renewal  of  a  fresh  and 
deep  impression  of  the  beauty  and  power  of  the  supreme  spiritual 
writing  of  the  world." 

"  Unquestionably  here  is  a  task  worth  carrying  out :  and  it  is  to 
be  said  at  once  that  Dr.  Moulton  has  carried  it 
Presbyterian  out  with  great  skill  and  helpfulness.     Both  the 

and  Reformed         introduction  and  the  notes  are  distinct  contribu- 
Review.  tions  to  the   better  understanding  and  higher 

appreciation  of  the  literary  character,  featured 
and  beauties  of  the  Biblical  books  treated." 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

66   FIFTH   AVENUE.    NEW   YORK 


WISDOM  SERIES 

IN   FOUR  VOLUMES 

THE  PROVERBS 

A  Miscellany  of  Sayings  and  Poems  embodying  Isolated  Obser- 
vations of  Life. 

ECCLESIASTICUS 

A  Miscellany  including  longer  compositions,  still  embodying 
only  Isolated  Observations  of  Life. 

ECCLESIASTES  — WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON 

Each  is  a  Series  of  Connected  Writings  embodying,  from  dif- 
ferent standpoints,  a  Solution  of  the  Whole  Mystery  of  Life. 

THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

A  Dramatic  Poem  in  which  are  embodied  Varying  Solutions  of 
the  Mystery  of  Life. 


DEUTERONOMY 

The  Orations  and  Songs  of  Moses,  constituting  his  Farewell  to 
the  People  of  Israel. 

BIBLICAL  IDYLS 

The  Lyric  Idyl  of  Solomon's  Song,  and  the  Epic  Idyls  of  Ruth, 
Esther,  and  Tobit. 

THE  PSALMS  (Two  Volumes) 

Containing  the  whole  of  The  Psalms  and   also  the  Book  of 
Lamentations. 

SELECT  MASTERPIECES  OF  biblical  literature 

2 


HISTORY  SERIES 

IN   FIVE  VOLUMES 

GENESIS 

Bible  History,  Part  I  :  Formation  of  the  Chosen  Nation. 
THE  EXODUS 

Bible  History,  Part  H  :  Migration  of  the  Chosen  Nation  to  the 
Land  of  Promise.  —  Book  of  Exodus,  with  Leviticus  and  Num- 
bers. ^ 

THE  JUDGES 

Bible  History,  Part  HI :  The  Chosen  Nation  in  its  Efforts 
towards  Secular  Government.  —  Books  of  Joshua,  Judges, 
I  Samuel. 

THE  KINGS 

Bible  History,  Part  IV :  The  Chosen  Nation  under  a  Secular 
Government  side  by  side  with  a  Theocracy.  —  Books  of  H 
Samuel,  I  and  II  Kings. 

THE  CHRONICLES 

Ecclesiastical  History  of  the  Chosen  Nation.  —  Books  of  Chron- 
icles, Ezra,  Nehemiah. 


PROPHECY  SERIES 

IN   FOUR  VOLUMES 
ISAIAH 

The  vision  of  Isaiah,  the  Son  of  Amoz,  which  he  saw  concern- 
ing Judah  and  Jerusalem  in  the  days  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 
and  Hezekiah,  Kings  of  Judah. 

EZEKIEL 

The  prophetic  works  of  Ezekiel. 
JEREMIAH 

The  words  of  Jeremiah,  the  Son  of  Hilkiah,  to  whom  the  Word 
of  the  Lord  came  in  the  days  of  Josiah,  Jehoiakim,  and  Zede* 
kiah,  Kings  of  Judah. 

3 


DANIEL  AND  THE  MINOR  PROPHETS 

Containing  The  Book  of  Daniel,  The  Prophecy  of  Hosea,  The 
Propnecy  of  Joel,  The  Book  of  Amos,  The  Vision  of  Obadiah, 
The  Book  of  Jonah,  The  Prophecy  of  Micah,  The  Oracle  Con- 
cerning Nineveh  and  the  Book  ot  Nahum,  The  Oracle  which 
Habakkuk  did  see,  The  Prophecy  of  Zephaniah,  The  Book  of 
Haggai,  The  Book  of  Zechariah,  and  other  anonymous  prophe- 
cies. 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SERIES 

IN   FOUR  VOLUMES 

ST.  MATTHEW,   ST.  MARK,  and  the  GENERAL 
EPISTLES 

Containing  The  Gospel  according  to  St.  Matthew,,  The  Gospel 
according  to  St.  Mark,  an  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  The  Epistle 
of  St.  James,  The  Epistles  of  St.  Peter,  and  The  Epistle  of  St. 
Jude. 

ST.  LUKE  and  ST.  PAUL  (Two  Volumes) 

Containing  The  Gospel  of  St.  Luke,  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
with  the  Pauline  Epistles  introduced  at  the  several  points  of  the 
history  to  which  they  are  usually  referred.  An  opportunity  will 
thus  be  afforded  of  studying,  without  the  interruption  of  com- 
ment or  discussion,  the  continuous  History  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment Church  as  presented  by  itself. 

ST.  JOHN 

Containing  the  Gospel,  Epistles,  and  Revelation  of  St.  John. 


THE   MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

66   FIFTH    AVENUE,    NEW   YORK 
4 


^>R2  0  1957 

«evo«!l3 
APR    ««■ 


UTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY 


1091  i 

cop. 4        Selections, 
"    h^nglish   -~~ 

Bible   stories. 


000  006  071 


